


Torment

by Nichya



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst and Romance, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Brother/Sister Incest, Codependency, Depression, Don't Like Don't Read, Drama, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mental Instability, Sex (eventually), Sorry Not Sorry, Zucest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:13:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 62
Words: 53,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26420038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nichya/pseuds/Nichya
Summary: Some bonds are not so easily broken
Relationships: Azula/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2068
Kudos: 457





	1. Ceasefire

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when a dramatic bitch is waaaay too into ATLA, the song "Cry Little Sister", and the books of Nabokov (Warning: this fic won't be nearly as good as any of those works)

Azula watched him intently. His hands were quickly and gently changing the bandages on her left arm. The wound wasn't as critical as the ones she had previously inflicted on herself, but the pain in her brother's eyes as he tended to it was visible.

Zuko wasn't completely unharmed either. There were some small burns on his hands and forearms, and mostly healed, nearly imperceptible ones on his face. They were the result of her moments of both rage and panic. Sometimes the resentment she felt for brother's victory in the war took over her. Sometimes the nightmares and hallucinations were too much to bear, and she would be terrified of anything and anyone that got too close to her.

However, that night, for the first time in nearly a year and a half, she felt no desire to hurt him, or to protect herself from him in any way. Azula looked and looked at him, but she could not see the enemy that merely happened to have the same blood that ran through her veins running through his. All she could see was her brother. The kind, innocent boy that was once her friend. The merciful man that had spared her life after everything she did. The only one who didn't turn his back on her, even when she herself told him to do so.

Maybe it was the medication, and the effort of all the doctors and healers. Maybe Zuko's actions had finally gotten through to her. Maybe she was just tired of trying to hurt others, only to end up destroying herself all over again.

"Stay" Azula asked him as he was finishing the bandage on her arm.

Zuko looked up at her, his eyes wide "What did you say?" She could hear the hope in his voice, but his tone was more surprised than pleased.

Azula couldn't blame him. It _was_ a strange request coming from her. When Zuko spared her life and didn't have Aang take away her bending, she called him a fool. When he brought the best doctors in the whole world to the palace so she wouldn't have to be sent away, she refused to cooperate and often went against their orders. Even after he'd rush to her side in the middle of the night and comfort her when she'd wake up screaming and crying, she would kick him out of her room as soon she'd come back to her senses.

"I don't want to be alone. I feel safer when you're around" she said, a bit ashamed of herself for admitting something like that.

_You're pathetic_ , a familiar voice reprimanded her.

Zuko got up, a smile on his face. "I'll be right back, okay?" Azula nodded and returned his smile despite herself. Not even a whole minute had passed before he walked through the door again, wearing his robe.

They lied down facing each other, a peaceful silence allowing them to relax and slowly drift into sleep. That night was one of the few since the day of Sozin's comet in which Azula didn't have any dreams and actually slept until morning. As she woke up, she felt her brother gently run his fingers through her hair. He was lying against a few pillows, and had a scroll in his other hand. She closed her eyes and allowed him to go on, the pleasant touch causing her to drift off again.


	2. Control

Zuko's way of ruling was... interesting, to say the least.

He was far from being a pushover, but he certainly acted in a way no Fire Lord would or should. During the council meeting, he wasn't sitting in a privileged position, making sure all eyes were on him and allowing him to see everyone else in the room. There were no flames burning behind him to demonstrate his unbelievable power. Not only were there foreigners in room, but said foreigners were actually the ones sitting next to him.

But the most shocking aspect of the whole situation was the way Zuko spoke to the people around him. He sounded less like a Fire Lord in a meeting with his subordinates, and more like an ordinary man having a conversation in which the other parties had as much say on every matter as he did.

_Father would have never allowed this._

Azula shook her head negatively, as if trying to physically remove that thought from her mind. Ozai was not the Fire Lord anymore. He wasn't even a free man. He chose the wrong side in the war and payed the price. What he and those who came before him would have done didn't matter. Zuko was the one who would determine what is or isn't acceptable now. 

_Fire Lord Zuko is a disgrace,_ a voice insisted.

That wasn't true. Even though her brother allowed them to have way too much freedom while interacting him, all the sages, ministers, dignitaries, and generals were not being disrespectful or questioning his authority (though they certainly questioned his ideas). She still couldn't understand his methods, and maybe she never would, but it was clear that it was efficient enough that their nation was still prospering and he was now about to complete his second year as ruler.

There was, however, one action that the previous Fire Lords would have approved of: Zuko's decision to allow her to watch the meeting, despite the evident discomfort of everyone else around them, including his friends. She wanted to be there, and _he_ wanted her there. No one else in the room had a say on the matter - they were not the Fire Lord, so they had to keep their mouths shut and settle for angry looks and nervous glances at her direction.

Zuko had kept his eyes on her as well. He would look at her from across the room and watch her reaction to all of his decisions. But there was no visible insecurity or need for approval on his demeanor. It seemed like he was simply fascinated by her confusion at his actions. For the first time, she was the one who had to catch up with him and struggle to predict his next move. 

_This isn't the way it's supposed to be. You were born and raised to be an instrument of war, not peace. You don't belong here anymore._

Whether she did or did not, it was clear that her brother was determined to keep her around him. Even now that she was a bit more stable, guards and doctors were always around her, making sure she wouldn't try to escape or attack anyone. Zuko was taking the whole thing so seriously he was essentially one of them, taking care of all her needs and protecting her (and others) whenever she wasn't fully in control of her actions. It would often get a bit overwhelming.

But still, when the meeting finally ended, she couldn't hide her satisfaction as everyone else watched in absolute discomfort as her brother started following her like a shadow.


	3. Fear

Azula could hear something chasing her. She was running as fast as she could, but she knew it was catching up with her.

_You failed me, Azula. You let our nation fall apart._

She tried to ignore his voice as she ran. He's gone. He's not the Fire Lord. He can no longer bend. He can't hurt her. He can't hurt anyone anymore. She will never see him again. She couldn't think about him now.

_This isn't your world anymore, you're not meant to be here. Run away, run away._

That presence was getting stronger, and the sounds it made were getting louder, but Azula still couldn't see it. It was always in the shadow, always hidden from her eyes, waiting for a moment to strike. It had been following Azula since her friends betrayal, and now it was closer than ever. Many times before, she had tried to use her fire to attack it or at least to see what it was. It didn't work. Nothing would ever work. If she stopped, it would kill her. She had to keep running, she had to get away.

But how? She had no plan, no one else was around, there were no stars in the sky, and the voices in her head made it harded for her to focus on finding a way to escape. She was completely disoriented. And even if she managed to survive this, where would she go next? She wasn't welcome anywhere.

"You can't run away forever" she heard her mother say. She knew it wasn't only in her head, but she couldn't identify where her voice had come from. She was all alone. She had always been all alone. No one could be trusted, no one could help her. 

_You don't belong here..._

She was in pain. She was struggling to breathe, and her blue flame was dying out. She would be left in the dark, completely vulnerable. She would get caught. She would be destroyed. It was only a matter of time.

_Azula, wake up._

She felt more and more creatures starting to surround her. Running wouldn't help her now, there were too many, and they were too fast.

_Azula, wake up._

She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. As she tried to get away, the grip tightened and another hand touched her. "Let me go" she begged, tears starting to run down her face. 

"Azula, it's me" a kind, familiar voice reassured her as she felt someone's weight keeping her where she was "It was just a nightmare. You're safe."

Slowly, she recognized her brother. He was holding her wrists against the pillows and had trapped her legs between his. When she calmed down, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and let her go. 

_He'll leave you eventually. They always do._

Azula wrapped her arms around Zuko and fought the urge to cry.

"It's okay. Let it out." He said as he held her tight "I know it hurts, I know you're scared. It's okay."

She struggled for a few moments before giving in and letting the emotion take over. 


	4. Spectator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally said i wasn't going to write Zuko's POV until the second half of the story, but the story kept getting longer and longer, so i've decided to change it. I'm going to write from his point of view for this and the next chapter, then Azula's for a few more, then his again, and so on until i finish the story. 
> 
> (Also, i'm absolutely terrible at coming up with character names AND at writing any kind of action scene, so my apologies if this chapter sucks)

Zuko tried calming himself down. He could do this. There was no reason to be nervous. He had been completely at ease with letting Azula watch him acting as Fire Lord, running both the palace and the nation, and interacting with practically every other authority figure in the world. The most she had done was give him some suggestions about how to present himself - and only when it was just the two of them, because, in her words, it wasn't a great idea to let people know just yet that his most trusted advisor was his insane little sister.

But having her watch him train felt different somehow. He couldn't tell if it was because she had always been a better firebender than he was, or because of all the times he had fought her... or because of her reaction the last time she saw him _refuse_ a fight in that very room. That cruel smile would be in his mind forever.

_She's not that person anymore. I have no reason to ask her to go away._

Yet a part of him wanted to. Something about having her watching him like a hawk while he was training sent shivers down his spine. It didn't matter that he had become a much stronger bender after meeting the old masters, or that this wasn't going to be a real fight. Azula didn't exactly help by staring at the scar on his chest the second he took his shirt off.

_Is she ashamed or proud? Does it make her feel guilty? Does it make her feel anything at all?_

Zuko pushed the thought aside. He was overreacting. Worst case scenario, Azula would mock him for not being good enough. They weren't enemies anymore. They'd spend hours of the day together, and even slept in the same bed most nights. This wasn't a big deal.

Master Xang made the first move - simple, quick, and easy to deflect. Before his opponent could take another step forward, Zuko shot three fire balls at him, forcing him to jump back. 

Zuko then made the mistake of immediately taking a more offensive approach. As he got closer to the master, he prepared to strike him... only to have to jump to the side as a fire jet nearly burned him. Xang's way of fighting was always unpredictable as he could change strategies in a heartbeat. A fire ball to force Zuko backwards, three small, quick jets, and then a forth, long one that made him lose his balance for a moment. He would have probably ended up on the ground had it not been for the airbending stance Aang thought him two years prior.

_Let him keep attacking you. Keep your stance, and once he's tired enough, take him down._

It was the best strategy. It had worked for him before, including against his sister.

Truth be told, it was _Azula's_ strategy.

He gave into the temptation to look at her for a split second. Her face showed no emotion, and her eyes were fixated on him. Zuko felt a lump forming in the back of his throat, and his heart beating faster. He took a deep breath and waited for his opponent to strike again. 

As Xang attacked him, Zuko took an earthbending stance. He had to be immovable if he wanted to defend himself, while also saving more energy. It also helped him to get the upper hand - Xang was excellent in combat, but he was only used to fighting _other firebenders_ , so he was at a disavantage against someone who mixed it up with other techniques.

Once he saw him struggling to breathe for a brief moment, Zuko started moving again. Xang was close enough that it would be possible to end this fight with a few, key strikes.

He made it seem like the attack was coming from his right hand, only to then fire it with his left - one of his sister's favorite tricks that he seen her use so many times. Zuko wasn't looking at her, but he could almost feel her smile, just like the weight of her gaze felt like something tangible that threatened to come crashing down on him with full force at any second.

When Xang moved his head backwards to avoid the unexpected flame dangerously close to his face, Zuko kicked him, making him struggle to keep standing on his feet, then pushed him to the ground. The master recomposed himself, and congratulated him as Zuko offered him his hand. 

He turned around and saw his sister offering him a towel, with two of the royal guards right behind her. Her discomfort at having them so near was evident in her face. He took the towel and noticed as she seemed to scrutinize every inch of his form. Part of him wished she would stop looking at him like that, and another felt strangely proud of being able to capture her attention.

"I have to say, you've gotten a lot better... brother" she said, her smirk and the tone she used on the last word letting him know that she had nearly called him 'Zuzu'. He was glad she caught herself before she did it.

He also hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Thank you"

She turned to Xang "You were quite impressive too. Do you usually train with my brother?"

He bowed to her "Thank you, princess. It means a lot to me. And to answer your question, I've only been training with the Fire Lord for about a month"

"I see. This area of the palace was off limits for me until today, but maybe i'll join the two of you on these sessions eventually"

The guards behind her were shocked, and looked at Zuko with despair in their eyes. 

Despite being clearly taken by surprise and obviously feeling apprehensive, Xang smiled "It would be an honor. As long as your brother consents to it" he said, turning to him.

Zuko had seen this coming. He knew better than to think Azula would ever give up on her ambitions and be the type to just stand around looking pretty. The only thing he wasn't sure of was what her ambitions were right now.

"Once the doctors say it's safe for you to practice firebending again, you'll be more than welcome to join us"

She smiled and her eyes lit up in that dangerous way Zuko had not seen in a long time - and had never thought he would miss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fucking heard that "ding" of Azula's theme in my head when i wrote her reaction to Zuko's answer. Should i be concerned?


	5. Doctor's Advice; Part One

"May I speak to you for a moment, my lord?"

Zuko had been expecting this. The moment he said to Azula, in front of the guards, that he would consider letting her firebend again, he knew it wouldn't take long before everyone in the palace knew about it, including Azula's main doctors. And he knew that Mayu would be the one who would try to solve the matter with him first.

But he had expected it to take at least an entire day, not just a couple hours.

He took the doctor to his office, deciding it would be best that no one else heard them discuss the issue. He knew most people were still very suspetious of Azula, and that hearing their Fire Lord _defend_ her right to use and improve her terrifying abilities would do nothing but scare them and distract them from their work.

"I've heard your sister would like to start training her firebending again, and that you'll allow it once Chise and I consent to it, is that correct?"

"Yes" Zuko was thankful that she wasn't the type to avoid an uncomfortable subject, despite being extremely polite and kind to everyone. That was one of the things that annoyed him the most about being Fire Lord - people's unwillingness to just get to the point. Everything had to be said in that meek, submissive, idiotic tone that it made it sound like they were apologizing for being alive. Even when they questioned him, they took forever to say what they wanted to say. It had been nearly two years, but people still were not used to being ruled by someone who wouldn't take offense on every minor thing.

"My lord, I understand that bending is an important part of your sister's identity, and that it would mean a lot to her _and to you_ if she were able to learn how to see it as more than just a way to hurt others. I know that you believe the best way to achive that goal is to allow her to practice it in a different way."

_But..._

"But I don't think I need to remind you that there are more urgent issues she needs to work through before we can even think about letting her use her abilities freely. She has burned you, me, the other doctors, the guards, and even herself after nightmares and while hallucinating. Taking her bending away would be a dangerous thing to do considering how tied it is to her sense of self, but even that would preferable to allowing her to practice it right now."

"Doctor, I understand your concern and i assure you I won't let Azula do anything that goes against your recomendations. I do plan on letting her firebend _eventually_ , but definitively not right now. I've made that very clear to her, but we can go talk to her about it if you want to make sure everything is okay."

"That won't be necessary. Doctor Chise is already talking to her."

Zuko frowned "Why didn't you just talk to us at the same time?"

He was getting tense now. Chise and Mayu had not known each other before Zuko brought them to the palace to take care of his sister, but the two women worked so well together that anyone who didn't know them would assume they had been doing so for a long time.

They were also unbelievably inteligent, and knew how to get people to comply. That had been the reason why Zuko chose them to be his sister's main doctors, and why, even at her lowest points, Azula seemed to have a grudging respect for them instead of labeling them as 'useless idiots' like she had with the others. 

"Tell me, my lord, once we consider Azula stable enough to firebend, are you going to join her in every session to make sure it was the right decision to make?"

"Yes" he was starting to understand what his sister meant when she said that talking to a concerned doctor could sometimes feel like being interrogated, though he didn't know if it wasn't just because Mayu knew how to get to him in particular. After all, she had been the only one who managed to keep his hope alive when Azula was at her worst. 

"You'll be acting as her master. Just like you're also acting as a guard that makes sure she's not a threat to herself and to others. And as the person legally responsible for her. And as her Fire Lord, and her brother, and her _doctor_."

Zuko understood the hidden message behind her tone on that last word. She had always tried to limit how involved he was with Azula's treatment. He had thought she wouldn't mind it as much now that his sister was doing better, but obviously he was wrong.

"And as I understand, you've allowed her to watch some of the concil meetings. I know she wasn't allowed to speak during said meetings, but I think I know my patient well enough to be sure she didn't restrain from doing so when you two were alone."

"Where are you going with this?" he was starting to get sick of this conversation.

"Your life is becoming too entwined with Azula's. You hold too much power over her right now, and she still has a great deal of influence over you."

"We're siblings. We're supposed to be close" he defended himself.

"Not _this_ close. It's great that you're finally getting along with her, but this level of involvement is dangerous for both of you. You've already proved to her that she has someone she can count on, now let her move on without you. Let someone else train with her when the time comes. Let your guards be the only ones making sure she won't try to flee or hurt anyone. Don't spend every night with her, let Chise and I comfort her if she has nightmares. Don't try to take care of her without our guidance, and don't give her too much authority before we're sure it won't go to her head."

"I will keep all of this in mind" Zuko said, raising his hand as a sign for the young woman to stop speaking. He had heard enough. Mayu was blowing this whole thing way out of proportion "I have work to do now. Please leave."

"Very well, my lord" she bowed to him, a somber expression on her face, and left the room.

_Azula must have handled this a lot better than me. Chise is brilliant, but she must have come up empty handed too. Azula would never say anything._

It took him a minute to remember there was nothing _to_ say. The doctors were wrong, they were exaggerating.

They had to be.


	6. Doctor's Advice; Part Two

"I don't understand what this is about, Chise. You told me yourself that rebuilding my relationship with Zuko would be an important step for my recovering, I gave it try, and now we are closer than we've ever been, and I'm doing much better."

The older woman kept looking at her with that serious expression her face. Azula knew the doctor was probably taking mental notes of every possible hidden meaning that each one of her words could have. 

"What makes you say you're doing better, your highness?"

_Here we go again._

Most doctors would just keep giving her random, useless advice on how to get her life back on track. Mayu was absolutely kind and made good points every now again, and she was the only one who could sometimes make Azula forget she was being questioned by a doctor, and not just talking to an equal. Chise was something else entirely, she would not give advice, or even talk that much - but she was great at making people accidentally give themselves away simply by asking the right questions.

Azula admired that ability. She also hated not being completely immune to it yet.

"Aren't doctors supposed to be smart?" she sneered "I don't see anything that's not real anymore, i'm not hurting myself as much, I've stopped attacking people, and it's been two months since I've last woken up screaming in the middle of the night. I'm not saying I'm cured, but I think it's fair to say I've made some progress."

"You don't hurt yourself _as much,_ but you still do it. And you're not lashing out at others anymore, but you still don't feel safe sleeping alone, correct?"

"Yes" she admitted "Like I said, I know I'm not cured, but I'm doing better. So, I don't understand what you're so worried about."

"I think you do" Chise spoke in that non-threatening, yet somehow still dangerous tone she used whenever Azula refused to cooperate "But there's something else I want to discuss with you before we get to that. You've said you don't have visual hallucinations anymore - what about auditory ones?"

Azula sighed, she didn't like where this was going "Sometimes I still hear voices, but they're becoming more and more rare. And they don't speak all at once like they used to, so I don't feel as overwhelmed."

"But it's harder to ignore it when there's only one voice telling you, very clearly, what you should do" it wasn't a question "You've told me before that could recognize some of the voices as belonging to people from your life. Is your mother's voice still among them?"

Why? Why did Chise have to bring her up? Why wouldn't anyone just let her forget that woman ever existed?

_You cant avoid me forever, dear._

_I can, and I will._

"She's talking to you right now, isn't she?"

"Yes. Thanks to you" Azula didn't even try to hide her anger "Why do you keep trying to make me talk about her, Chise? You're the one who told me that seeing her again wasn't a necessity."

"I said _it didn't have to be_ a necessity. You don't have to interact with people who have hurt you in the past to get closure, but you do need to find a way to deal with what you feel for them. You've talked about your friends and your father, and you're mostly at peace with your emotions towards them now. Why do you refuse to do the same when it comes to your mother?"

_She doesn't deserve it. Ty Lee, Mai, and even my father cared about me at some point. She never did._

_That's not true, Azula. I loved you. I've made many mistakes, but I've always loved you. And I always will._

Azula used all her strength to prevent herself from crying. It didn't matter that Chise cared about her, in her own way, and didn't pity her like most did. She wasn't Zuko. Azula would never show weakness again. Not to anyone who didn't love her like her brother did.

"Either talk about something else, or this conversation is over."

_And I"ll make you regret ever being born,_ the threat died in her throat before Azula could vocalize it, but her tone had been enough to make Chise look afraid, even if just for one second.

"You said you and your brother are closer than ever now" Azula nodded "What made you take the first step to change your relationship with him so drastically."

"Again, I thought you'd be smarter than that. _He_ started it. He brought you and a bunch of other doctors to try to help me, and just wouldn't go away no matter how many times i told him to. All I did was stop antagonizing him."

"You asked him to a share a bed with you so you'd feel safe. Merely a few days after you had one of your worst crises " Chise corrected "That was huge, and you did it without any of us suggesting it. _You_ took the first step. I just don't know if you knew what you were starting."

Azula frowned "What exactly do you think I started?"

"You've become close to your brother. Too close, in fact. You've allowed yourself to need him around you nearly all the time. And you seem comfortable with him willingly following you around, while still resenting all the guards who have no choice but to do so. I never thought you'd be the type to let someone have so much power over you, so I want to know if there's something else going on."

"So that's what this is all about" Azula laughed "You think I'm manipulating Zuko so I can rule through him. That's why he's not here for this conversation. You know he wouldn't like to hear anyone suggest his little sister has not actually recovered at all, and simply regressed to her old self."

"That is one of the theories I have in mind" Chise admitted.

"Oh, so there are others? Please, tell me all about them" she joked, feeling far more confident now that she had figured most of it out.

"There are only two more possibilities I'm considering" the doctor started "If you're not using him for your own gain, then I have to assume you reciprocate what he's feeling for you now. Or perhaps that's how you two have always felt."

Azula didn't like the way she was speaking "What exactly are you implying, doctor?"

"With all due respect your highness, I think you know. I'm not saying I can't be wrong about the nature of your relationship with your brother, but at this point it's crystal clear to me that it has turned into something very atypical."

"You and Mayu have helped me quite a lot, Chise, so I'll be kind enough to give both of you a warning. My relationship with my brother should not matter to anyone but the two of us, so keep your concerns and theories to yourselves. And even though he's not here to listen to the absurd you've just said, you should know better than to imply your Fire Lord would ever be weak and foolish enough to let himself be manipulated or seduced."

"I would nev-"

"Spare me of your excuses. I'm sure you came up with something brilliant to say and pretend you didn't accuse us of what you just did. Like I said, this is merely a warning. I know you have no intention to harm me or Zuko, so I'll pretend this conversation never happened. But if others heard you speak like that, they might think you're a traitor, or even believe your nonsense - and I'd have no choice but to punish you accordingly." 

"I understand. I apologize for my indiscretion, your highness" she said, kneeling on the floor, and then bowing at Azula's feet.

"Look at me" when Chise did as she was told, Azula spoke up again "You are forgiven. I know you support me and my brother. _Unc_ _onditionally."_

The older woman immediately understood what she meant.

"Yes, princess. I'm loyal to you and to our Fire Lord. No matter what."


	7. Azula Always Lies

Azula didn't tell him everything about her conversation with Chise. There was really no point in doing so. She had already made sure the subjects were not going to be brought up again, the woman had sworn fealty, and letting Zuko know too much would only make him feel stressed and act stupid. That had probably been the reason why Mayu had not implied the possibility of incest like Chise had: they knew him well.

Though not as well as Azula did.

She knew her brother had a habit of ignoring anything that proved their family was far from an ideal one. He had not believed her when she told him their dad was going to follow the Fire Lord's order - their _grandfather's_ order - and kill his firstborn. He refused to recognize the monster Ozai was, even after being disfigured and banished by him. Twice he had ignored all common sense just to believe her lies that he would be welcomed home and have his dream family. And though he now could see that their mother was not perfect and had hurt her, he still insisted she loved them both instead of just him. 

That's why it wasn't a surprise for her to see him walking in circles through her room, rambling about how ridiculous this whole thing was, absolutely furious and down right offended that anyone would think their relationship was, somehow, a problem.

And he was right. It was not a problem. But that didn't mean it was conventional or 'moral', and Azula knew there had to be at least some part of him that was well aware of that fact. The only thing she didn't know was how long he could keep turning a blind eye to something so obvious.

"Calm down, Zuzu" she got up from the bed walked toward her brother, putting her hands on his shoulders so he would stay where he was "You said it yourself, they were exaggerating. They'll realize it eventually, and this whole thing won't matter. Stop worrying."

"It's not just Chise and Mayu, Azula. If even your doctors think you could be just manipulating me, then what do the people _outside_ the palace think? You're the specialist in politics, you know how a reputation as weak and gullible could be used against me."

_How come he only decides to be smart when it's inconvenient?_

"I'm not saying we should ignore it and hope it'll go away, i'm just saying you're freaking out over something that isn't that big a deal. Like you _always_ do. No one has any more evidence than they did five months ago, and they'll never have because i'm not trying to take the throne for myself or to use you as my puppet."

He still looked unsure.

"Let's just go to bed, okay? We'll know just how to handle this once we've gotten enough rest and you've cooled down."

That seemed to convince him. Zuko still wasn't a perfect leader, but he knew better than to act on impulse and let his emotions cloud his judgement like he used to not that long ago. Azula could see why so many people trusted him to rule their nation now.

_If you trusted this fool you call brother, you wouldn't feel the need to hide anything from him. How can you possibly expect to make him a better Fire Lord? You know he's as much as a disgrace as your father was. And as you were and continue to be._

Azula ignored the voice in her head and went back to her bed. She could see her brother was still obsessing over the doctor's concerns. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep unless he got some indication that this wasn't going to be the disaster he was anticipating.

"If you're that worried about what people will say" she said, rolling her eyes "we can pretend we're trying to find some kind of middle ground with them. I'll stop going to the council meetings and you'll stop following me around. I'll talk to the doctors alone from now on, and we won't spend as much time together as we'd like to."

"Do you think that will work?"

_No._

"Yes" she assured him "It will look like we're trying to cooperate, and it will show everyone you're the one in control, not me. But I still need you to stay with me at night, i won't feel safe otherwise" she added quickly.

Zuko pulled her in for a quick hug "Won't be a problem."

Azula smiled. Just like her brother avoided letting his temper become apparent to most people, yet dropped the act of calm and collected leader when he was with her, she felt safe enough to become vulnerable with him. She had never thought she'd like having someone see her softer side - a side Azula herself could sometimes forget existed.

_If you care for your brother that much, you should be honest with him. Tell him the truth, dear._

_Not you again,_ Azula complained silently to her 'mother', before holding Zuko tighter just as he was about to pull away. His whole body became tense for a moment, before relaxing again as he soothed her . He no longer needed her to speak up to know when she needed his support.

Azula would not tell Zuko that, by that point, some people were probably starting to suspect she had seduced him. She couldn't. It would only scare him away and ruin what he was finally allowing himself to feel. He liked that they were not 'normal' siblings as much as she did, but he needed more time to get used to the idea. And Azula needed to see just how far she could push him. To toy with him a little more. To enjoy what was finally within her reach. 

So she would have to reassure _him_ it wasn't what it seemed. Everyone else could think whatever they wanted to think, as long as it didn't get in their way. She had waited too long for this and she would not let it be taken away now. 


	8. Inevitable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw college, my readers need their Zucest!

"Are you sure you want to do this, Zuzu?" his sister asked him for the tenth time as they waited for Toph and June.

"Yes. And even if I wasn't, they're probably here already."

"We could just make something up. You invite your friends to the palace for the most ridiculous reasons anyway, so the earthbender won't be suspetious."

"Azula..." he warned.

"And we can just tell the bounty hunter we need her to chase another random criminal we haven't captured yet" she said, ignoring his warning "That's probably what she thinks she's here for."

"Azula, this is serious. I need to be sure that our people still believe in me, and that I won't let any harm come to them, despite everything our family has done before. That's the whole point of me being Fire Lord. I can't afford to have them thinking I'm being manipulated."

"You still don't get it, do you?" she looked disappointed and annoyed "I could literally turn into the kindest person in the whole world, and it wouldn't be enough. As long as I'm by your side instead of locked away in a prison cell or in an asylum, there will always be people who think everything I do is part of a plan to either kill you or turn you into nothing more than a figurehead while I hold all the actual power."

Zuko knew his sister had a point - truth be told, she always did - but he hated how easy it was for her to say people would never fully accept her. He knew some would never like her, and that a few others would always be waiting for an opportunity to get rid of her. But it wasn't like her to simply surrender to that fact. She should be fighting with all the confidence in the world, and not acting like she thought it could all be for nothing. She should be coming up with all kinds of plans, not just constantly reassuring him that it would all be okay eventually. She should be more... _Azula._

But wasn't that the whole point of this treatment? To make her change her ways? To turn her into a better person? To help her become... someone else?

_No, not someone else._ Zuko thought. _Just a new version of her. A kinder, happier one. She deserves this as much as i did._

"It doesn't matter what they think" his sister was about to speak up, but he didn't allow her to "I know what it looks like and I know what you're thinking. But you're wrong. I'm not doing this because I want to make sure everyone is glad you're still around. I just want to know who are the people opposing this the most, so I can prevent them from trying anything against us."

"So tell me, Zuzu, when you find these people, what are going to do? Banish them? Take away their right to voice opinions that go against their Fire Lord's wishes? Imprison them? _Kill_ them? We both know you don't have it in you."

"It won't get that far" Zuko promised her, and himself "I had to deal with furious crowds before, when I decided not to send you away. This isn't any different."

Azula looked like she wanted to disagree, but instead she gave him a warning "Just be careful with what exactly you ask those two to tell you after they finish their 'investigation'. You might not want some questions to be answered. _Es_ _pecially_ by two women as blunt as they are."

Before he could tell her to explain what she meant, they heard Toph's laughter becoming louder and louder outside the room.

"Last chance to change your mind, Zuzu" Azula said in that mocking tone that never failed to get on his nerves. 

Zuko ignored her and opened the door.


	9. First Things First

"Is there anything else you wanna tell me?" Toph asked in a somewhat concerned tone.

"No. Why?"

But he already knew the answer. To June this would be just another job, but Toph was actually his friend, so Zuko had expected her to be at least a little worried.

"Don't get me wrong, i'm more than ready to just hang out with June and listen to people mock you, but i have to know if there's some other reason you wanted me to investigate what everyone thinks your sister is doing. Do you think she really could be just manipulating you?"

"No. She has my full trust now. I just need to know if my nation still believes in me."

Toph nodded "Just checking."

"Can't blame you" he said.

Zuko was actually feeling more relaxed now. The only person who had ever managed to get away with lying to Toph was Azula, so it was safe to assume she would find out the truth about what his people thought was going on.

And she had been kind enough to agree to do the same with the people inside the palace.

"What did you find out so far?"

"Not much" oddly enough, that answer did not displease him as much as it should have.

_You might not want some questions to be answered,_ Azula had warned him.

"But there is one thing that is bugging me. Some people said you and your sister are acting... suspicious."

"Suspicious how?" he asked, a little confused.

"Just a week ago you two were doing practically everything together, right?" when he nodded, Toph looked uncomfortable for a brief moment "And now you two just.. stopped. You stay with her in case she has a nightmare and that's it. Was that intentional?"

"Yes. We're trying to make them less scared."

"Well, it didn't work. Most people realized what you two are doing, and they're not buying it at all. There's even a few ministers that think Azula did something horrible and you're trying to protect yourself without warning anybody else so you wouldn't look stupid." 

It was Zuko's turn to be uncomfortable. He had realized that strategy had been as simple as humanly possible, but Azula had assured him many times it would be enough. And she seemed as unhappy about it as he was, and she had never hesitated in pointing out flaws in any suggestion he ever had on literally any subject. Had she made a mistake or was she hiding something?

_You just said you trust her!_

He _did_ trust her. He was just paranoid.

"Just a day, and you've already got all that" he sighed.

"Hey, I know this situation stinks, but it will get better. You're tough and you've been through worse than that, so stop whining."

Zuko managed to laugh a little. Toph's weird way of being supportive had always worked on him.

"Just one last question" she looked unsure of how she should phrase it "Was it weird for you to spend so much time with your sister? I mean, you two were trying to kill each other two years ago"

"It was a little weird for me at first. But the more time we spent together, it all just started to feel... I don't know, natural?"

"That is a little hard to believe. Even ignoring everything that happened between you two, being around someone nearly every second of the day had to at least get annoying sometimes."

"Not really. I know it sounds strange, but i think that's how our relationship would have always been if it weren't for my father."

_And I'm already starting to miss it,_ he nearly said, but decided against it.

"Well, even after this whole thing is over, you two really should tone it down a bit. If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd probably think she had brainwashed you, or..." her voice started to sound a little strange - a mix between discomfort and amusement.

"Or what?"

"Or that you're sleeping with her" she said with a shrug and a grin.

"Toph!" he screamed in disbelief.

"Hey, don't kill the messenger!" she said, pointing her finger at him "I'm just giving you a heads up on what this whole thing could look like to someone else. No one brough it up or even joked about it, but you _are_ the Fire Lord and a war hero, so I don't think anyone would want to accuse you. But that doesn't mean they couldn't at least think it, so be more careful. I know being normal is hard for your family, but still."

She walked out the door, leaving him alone to process everything he had just heard.


	10. Late At Night

Zuko knew his sister would be mad at him. Whenever he took too long to go to her room, she would come find him and help him with whatever it was that had taken up all his time, but he had locked himself inside his office and had made it very clear that no one, not even Azula, was to disturb him. Not being an exception to the rule would already annoy her, but having to wait for him - or for literally anyone - was guaranteed to make her downright furious. She would demand an explanation, and, unfortunately, he had one.

The problem was that said explanation was ridiculous and embarrassing.

_If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd probably think you're sleeping with her._

Why did Toph have to say that? Why did everyone else just have to try to dictate how he should interact with his sister? Why couldn't they just leave them alone now that they were finally getting along?

Why did it take him so long to realise just how bizarre this whole thing looked to everyone around them? How could he have been stupid enough to not see it until Toph came along? How could he have let it all happen? How would Azula react?

How _would_ she react? Would she feel offended and take it out on Toph, or would she ignore this whole thing like she had done with her doctor's concerns? And if the situation did bother her, would there be any part of her that cared about what other's thought of her as person, or just as their princess? What would she say, not as his sister, but as his advisor?

_Feeling sorry for yourself won't fix anything. You have to face this and do something about it. You're the Fire Lord now, Zuzu. Act like one._

Zuko groaned and left his office. He knew 'Azula' was right. He had spent hours panicking and it had only made him feel worse. He would have to deal with this eventually, wheter he liked it or not, so it was better to just get it over with. Waiting wouldn't change anything.

Still, as he made his way through the palace's halls, he felt nothing but dread. The near absolute silence seemed to almost taunt him with the knowleadge that his sister was probably not going to say a word and just let him make a fool out of himself as he tried to explain why he was late. Somehow, his brain always seemed to know just the wrong thing to say.

When Zuko opened his door, he saw Azula sitting on his bed. The fiery rage in her eyes let him know just how screwed he was.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. It won't happen again."

_For your sake, it better not,_ he could almost hear her say it.

"Toph confirmed everything I was afraid she would" he said as he closed the door behind him "And she told me something worse."

Azula raised an eyebrow. Despite her anger, she still looked perfectly collected. Zuko was sure he looked stupid.

"Next time something that important happens, I promisse I'll tell you straight away. I know you were probably worried, but that wasn't my intention. I just... I didn't know how to tell you."

"Tell me what exactly, Zuko?" her tone sent shivers down his spine.

"Toph thinks that we... well, _she_ doesn't think it, she just thinks _someone else_ could think it, but she isn't sure..." he closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't do this. He couldn't look at her and say it like it wasn't a big deal. This was absurd and downright disturbing. "Toph said other's _might_ think you and I are... involved _"_ he cringed as he said that last word, averting his eyes for a moment.

Not hearing his sister make a sound, Zuko expected to look at her and see nothing but disdain. Certainly she would simply dismiss this as a pathetic attempt to make their subjects see her as even more of a villain. Yes, he expected a disinterested expression on her face.

Instead he was met with a hint of a smile.

"Is that so?" she said as she got up and walked towards him "How unfortunate. Oh, well, I suppose I _do_ see her point... and I bet your reaction must have made her laugh."

He didn't like where this was going. She shouldn't be saying this. Not to him. Not like this. Toph had joked about this disastrous situation too, but it didn't make him feel this uncomfortable. This felt wrong.

"Calm down, Zuzu. I'm just teasing you" the look in her eyes and her tone had become almost innocent, but still all he could see and hear was malice.

When her hand touched his, Zuko felt his entire body react. He pulled away from her and saw her whole demeanor change, becoming cold and harsh like she was to everyone else. He had never wanted to see Azula act like that with him again, or for her to feel the need to hide away her true feelings about anything, but this was much more than he could handle.

_It's not what it looks like. It's not what you're thinking. You're sick.This is all in your head. It was just a joke. She didn't mean it._

"I need to be alone. I'm sorry."

As he turned away and opened the door he heard her voice again "This is _your_ room, Zuko. You shouldn't be the one leaving."

It didn't matter. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall sleep anyway. 


	11. Early In The Morning

The first thing Azula saw as she woke up was her brother sitting on a chair next to the bed - _his_ bed. She decided against going back to her own bedroom so they could talk, but ended up falling asleep. Zuko didn't seem to be as stressed as he had been mere hours before, but it was very clear he was tired. And in a terrible mood.

"You look awful" she said.

"Thanks" his face softned for an instant "Did you have any nightmares?"

"No, but I'm still mad at you for not staying with me" Zuko had the decency to blush "Are you going to run away like a little kid again or can we actually talk?"

He sighed, then spoke up again "I'm sorry, it's just that you freaked me out when you said you could see us... _that_ way. I never thought you'd think about something like that ."

Azula had surpress a cruel smile. She had said she could understand why _others_ could wrongfully believe they were sleeping together, not that she herself could see it actually happening, or that she had ever imagined what it would be like. She would have teased him mercilessly if he wasn't still a flight risk.

"I was joking, Zuzu" she tried her best to act innocent, but it was harder to pretend she didn't mean it now that she was sure that, deep down, he had already understood what exactly they had accidentally started "You know I like to make you uncomfortable every now and again."

"This is different, Azula. If people really think we are together, it could ruin our image and put us in danger."

"Look, you've gotta stop worrying about me. You're the Fire Lord, you're the one with actual power. I'm just your crazy sister. They'll make up stories about how I'm secretly still evil 'til the day I die. It's not ideal, but it is what it is, and at least that means I have nothing to lose. Forget my reputation and focus on yours."

That answer clearly had not pleased him.

"That is not an option. I won't let anyone disrespect you" he spoke in that unecessarily serious tone he used way too often, making her smile.

"How lovely. My dear brother worried about my honor" she mocked "Now come here, you need to rest."

He didn't move.

"Come on, Zuko. I won't bite."

"We shouldn't do this anymore" he looked both guilty and disappointed "Chise and Mayu said spending so much time together wouldn't be good for us."

"That didn't stop you before" she said as she got up "And _we_ are not the problem here. You said it yourself, they're overreacting."

"I'm not sure about that anymore. There's a reason everyone is weirded out by everything we do, Azula. It might not be what they're thinking, but that doesn't mean our relationship is normal."

"Since when has anything in our lives been normal, Zuzu?" Azula didn't even try to hide her anger "After everything we've been through it's obvious we'd never be like everyone else. And we both nearly ended up a lot worse than we are now" she paused for a moment, then put a hand on his shoulder "Zuko, i'm only doing better _because_ you're always by my side, not in spite of it. And i know you don't want this to end. It doesn't matter if it's normal - it is what works for us."

He got up from the chair and pulled her in for a quick hug "I promise you I'll always be here for you. But I have to think about this" he looked at her with those sad eyes, and his hand instinctively caressed the spot in her arm where she lastly hurt herself. 

_Coward. That's all he's ever been. That's all he ever will be._

Azula ignored both the voice in her head and her brother's words. She was getting tired of playing nice.

"You shouldn't test me, brother. You know better than anyone that I always get what I want" she whispered in his ear, making his entire body shake. She kissed him on the cheek, then started to walk away.

Zuko stopped her by grabing her wrist. When she looked at him, she saw how terrified he was, but the fire in his eyes made it clear there was something else hidding behind his fear. 

"Let go, Zuzu" she commanded and he obeyed with a sheepish look on his face, making her grin as she left his room. There was no point in staying, because there was nothing left to say. He had run out of excuses for the things they did, and she was no longer willing to indulge him. If he wanted her - and Azula knew he did - he would have to actually do something about it. 


	12. Ursa

Azula wanted to break down the door to her brother's office. Zuko had locked himself in there with Chise and Mayu, probably to ask their advice on how to deal with their current situation. She wanted to shake him and force him to understand once and for all that this was not going to work. That he had to figure out what he felt for her, and what _he_ wanted their relationship to be like. There was no one else could do it for him.

He had made so much progress with everything else. He was a good leader, he knew how to handle the people around him, and he knew how to make others listen to him without using force or manipulation - that was more than any of the previous Fire Lords had been able to do, including Azula herself... yet now he was regressing to his old self. Just a confused boy waiting for someone to give him all the answers.

_You're being unfair to him, Azula._

"Shut up" she said, then immediately wanted to chastise herself. The doctors had warned her many times to not interact with her delusions. For the most part, she had managed to ignore all the voices.

All except her mother's.

_You know you're gonna have to talk to me eventually, honey._

Azula _hated it_ when the voices made sense - it was so much easier to not pay attention to them when what they said was nonsense. And her mother just had to be the one that only seemed to say perfectly logical things.

She couldn't ignore her forever. It had been a miracle that she had managed to do it for so long, but it wouldn't last.

Zuko and his blind friend had found her about a year after Zuko's coronation. She was hiding with her new family on some small, remote island in the south of the Earth Kingdom. Their father had tried to find her himself a few times throughout the years she had spent banished, and sent some of his allies after her. Ursa managed to avoid them long enough to never confirm her suspicion that he had decided to get rid of the one person (he was aware of) who knew the truth about Azulon's death.

She had visited Azula only once, and it triggered one of her worst crisis. Azula couldn't remember much of it, only that she went absolutely still the second she saw her mother, then started crying. She had vague memories about screaming, trying to firebend, but being unable to, and seeing some strange figures surrounding them. She couldn't tell if it had happened hours or days later, but Zuko had promised her he wouldn't bring their mother to see her anymore, unless Azula herself asked him to.

_How long do you think you can avoid how you feel? What has it ever brought you other than misery?_

_Shut up,_ she wanted to scream.

But Azula knew what she had to do. She was trying to get her life back, but she would never be able to do it unless she managed to find a way to move on from what was holding her back. 

_I know you're scared, but you can do this. Let yourself feel,_ her brother had told her once.

He should listen to his advice every now and again. He did have a brain inside that thick skull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toph deserved her life changing field trip with Zuko. We were fucking robbed.


	13. Dead End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about this chapter: I had to rewrite the whole thing because my stupid computer deleted it, and i got so mad that i could have killed God with my bare hands.

Azula had been one step ahead of the doctors, and two steps ahead of him. _Of course_ she had. Zuko shouldn't have expected anything different.

But he did. He had foolishly believed that she had not realized how the sudden change in their relationship would look like to other people. He had trusted her when she said the doctors were exaggerating, and that she truly thought ignoring their concerns was the best strategy.

_You shouldn't test me, brother._

Instead of giving him advice like he had asked them to, Chise and Mayu seemed to have suddenly changed their minds, and now believed he was wise enough to see for himself it there was anything off about his interactions with his sister, and that they should have not tried to meddle in it. Or rather, Azula had somehow managed to convince them to stay out of it and to tell him everything was okay, because she knew he valued their opinion.

The most they did was 'remind' him of 'his' fear that the level of attachment they felt to each other could have a negative effect on Azula's recovery, and then immediately dismissed it.

_Chise was just concerned, but I took care of it, Zuzu. Forget about it,_ she had told him.

But how would he ever be able to forget it? He could still see the panic and discomfort on people's faces whenever Azula was by his side, he could still hear the rumors and everyone's concerns, and he could still feel the doubt about how he should act.

And he could almost feel _her_. The warmth of her embrace when he'd lie on her bed. Her hands rubbing his shoulders when he was stressed because of all the new responsibilities he had. Her kiss on his cheek getting him completely off guard.

And, worst of all, he could still hear her words - spoken in that low, sweet tone - taunting him and pushing away any rational thought that had ever crossed his mind.

_You shouldn't test me. You know better than anyone that I always get what I want._

He could feel that rage only Azula could cause slowly bulding up inside of him. That all too familiar dread and anger of knowing there was a trap somewhere around, and being forced to walk right into it, despite doing his best to avoid it. 

And, to his despair, he was also starting to recognize that particular type of affection he had only felt twice before in his life. First when he had been reunited with Mai on the ship that brought him back to the Fire Nation, then again with Jin, when he and his friends had gone back to Ba Sing Se to make sure the city had not gone back to it's previous abhorrent state.

He should have never let his mind go there. He should have never allowed himself to see her in that light. Not even for a second. 

_I always get what I want._

And she nearly had. When she started to walk away, his first instinct was to pull her close to him again. It had been as automatic to him as holding her tight after she had a nightmare, and more irresistible than anything else in the world. Zuko had not even realized what he had been about to do until he grabbed her wrist, and was absolutely horrified at himself.

He had not told Chise and Mayu about it. But he couldn't tell if he had omitted it out of shame or because he was trying to get away with thinking about something so wrong.

What would have happened if he not been able to stop in time? How far would they have gone? What would their relationship have been like after that? Would it really be that horrible for him to find out?

Zuko shook his head and threw himself on his bed. The same bed he had shared with his sister whenever he took too long to go to her room. The same bed where she had spent the previous night.

_I can't want this. I can't possibly want this._

Then how come he did?


	14. No Turning Back

When he opened the door to her room, Zuko saw she was already about to go to bed.

"Good, you're here. I need to ask you a favor, Zuzu."

"First we need to talk" he said as he closed the door.

"About what?" she feigned innocence.

"About our... situation" he didn't want to do this. He definitively did not want to do this. He didn't want to ever think about this whole thing again.

But he had no choice.

"How did you get Chise and Mayu to back off?" he asked, already fearing the answer. Azula's grin and that devilish look in her eyes didn't help calm him down at all. He wanted to believe his sister really had changed, but he couldn't help but imagine all kinds of horrible things she could have done to her poor doctors.

"I just gave them a warning. It's not their place to question their Fire Lord, and they should have been doing their job instead of wasting time wondering what we do when we're alone."

"You threatened them" he corrected. This wasn't good, but at least it wasn't as bad as he thought.

"If that's what you want to call it" Azula rolled her eyes.

"What _did_ they think was going on?"

"They thought i seduced you. They just didn't know if I did to gain power or because I wanted to be with you" she answered bluntly.

Zuko took a deep breath and went on "And which one is it?"

Azula smiled maliciously and walked toward him "You don't trust me, brother? You're hurting my feelings" she said in that sarcastic tone that he hated "I'll admit, being close to the Fire Lord has it's benefits, and I obviously took advantage of it. But I didn't plan it."

He had fight back a smile. It had all been genuine. She cared about him.

"When did you start feeling that way?" he asked somewhat awkwardly.

She paused to think about it for a moment "I'd say about four or five months before you were banished. I thought i had gotten over it a few times, but having you around for too long always seems to bring it all back."

Zuko took a step back, completely shocked by what he had just heard. "That long ago?"

Azula nodded, but he still couldn't believe it.

"But you hated me - you said as much!" he was absolutely exasperated "You laughed when father burned me! You tried to capture me! _You tried to kill me!"_

"Yes" she was perfectly calm "But I still had feelings for you" she shrugged as if saying 'go figure'.

He knew Azula's way of dealing with her emotions was bizarre. She loved their mother, but would die before admitting it. She cared about Ty Lee and Mai, but she still mistreated them and was not at all above coercing them into doing anything she wanted. He had suspected she had always had at least some positive feelings towards him, but he could have never predicted she would want to be with him. 

"That's insane."

She laughed "In case you haven't noticed, so am I" she smirked and got closer to him - too close.

Zuko fought the urge to keep her at arm's length.

"Now that I've answered all your questions" her tone was low and dangerous, causing his breath to get caught up in his throat. "Tell me, dear brother, what do _you_ want from _me_? I have a pretty good guess, but i want to hear it from you" she said as she tugged on the fabric of his robe.

"I-I don't know" he stutered, trying desperately to avoid looking at her. His resolve was immediately broken by her chuckle.

"You're such a bad liar" she whispered, her nose almost touching his. Zuko created just a little distance between them, gently pushing at her sholders, but he couldn't find the strength to really get away from Azula - or the desire to do so.

"How can you be okay with this? Don't you ever feel guilty?" 

Her face softened, and she raised one hand to gently touch the scar on his eye. "I feel guilty and ashamed of many things, Zuzu. This isn't one of them."

Azula leaned in, and Zuko felt his heart beating so fast he could swear it was about to explode. The mere brush of his sister's lips against his felt like the shock that had hit every single one of his nerves when she had shot her lightning at him. 

Slowly and completely unsure of himself, he started to respond. The kiss was gentle and sweet. Strangely enough, it felt almost innocent.

But it wasn't enough for him. He kissed her harder and grabbed her waist, wanting to have her as close to him as humanly possible. He felt her smiling against his lips, and wrapping her arms around his neck. The second he slightly parted his lips, Azula deepened the kiss.

_It shouldn't be this easy. It shouldn't feel this good._

Zuko could feel his sister's passion in every little action and reaction. Her tongue toying and sparring with his own, tasting him, exploring his mouth. Her nails gently scratching his scalp. Her hands touching his chest and his back, grabbing his arms, feeling every muscle. Her teeth delicately biting his lower lip. Her gasping for air whenever one of them would pull away for a few seconds, and then melting against him when he'd kiss her again. Her little moan against his mouth and the shiver that went through her body when his fingers slowly traced her spine, from her neck to her lower back, then quickly went back up.

"Careful now, Zuzu... don't start something you can't finish" her tone felt both like a warning and a dare.

Before he could decide if he wanted to take the bait, they heard frantic knocks on the door and instinctively got away from each other.

"Your highness, is your brother with you?" the person on the other side sounded desperate.

"What do you want?" Zuko didn't even bother to hide the anger in his voice.

"My Lord, a hawk has arrived!" Zuko recognized Xang's voice "The message has a black ribbon on it!" 

Zuko and Azula shared a panicked look. A black ribbon. The sign of an emergency - usually one that was a direct threat to the Fire Nation.

Or to the Fire Lord himself.


	15. New Strategies; Part One

Azula read the letter for a second time, then a third, making sure neither she nor Zuko had missed anything.

The peasa- _waterbender_ her brother was friends with had discovered a group of insurgent firebenders who were still loyal to Ozai while she was accompanying the Avatar on his everlasting mission to go from city to city, making sure the whole world was at peace. The traitors had been defeated and captured, but she and her boyfriend had found more than enough evidence on their hiding place to suggest they were not acting alone.

And that soon enough many cities and villages of the Fire Nation would be under attack.

Zuko's friends, despite all their flaws, had at least been smart enough to send them an absolute through description of they had found - the traitor's identities, who were their families (and if there was enough reason suspect they were involved too), how much experience they seemed to have in combat, how much money they had with them, and what locations they would have attacked had they not been found in time.

Overall, it looked like that specific group was planning on taking over some poor villages and small cities that had been weakened either by the war itself, or by it's end and the sudden change in the country's way of operating. Zuko had done his best to fix every issue he was notified of, but no ruler could undo a century's worth of damage in just two years. 

And that left the door open for power hungry opportunists, most of whom knew very well they'd have a better chance of achiving their goals if the Fire Lord was someone like Ozai. Sure, they'd have to answer to the authority of a much more vile ruler, but Ozai would turn a blind eye to all kinds of atrocities as long the people responsible for them were useful to him, something Zuko would never do.

If they took over enough of the Fire Nation, and convinced most of the citizens that Zuko and his allies were the ones resposible for their misery, they could very easily start a new war. All they had to do was offer a minimum amount of help to the most vulnerable communities and take advantage of the years of indoctrination their minds had not yet managed to overcome.

To avoid that, her brother would have to act quickly. While there was a possibility the other groups would hide away and await for a better moment to attack, they could also decide to act _sooner_ than they originally intended to. 

So, they would have to make sure the Fire Nation (or at least the majority of it) was under Zuko's control.

Unfortunately, there was no choice but absolute transparency when doing so. In the past, no one in the country would have ever dared to say a word if the royal family had the army march through the entire territory, soldiers setting camp in any city they were ordered to, without anyone among the common folk knowing why it was happening. But now that would mean direct conflict with the other nations and it's rulers, as well as forcing Zuko to contradict himself, and, by extension, prove the superiority of Ozai's methods.

The army would be sent to defend the locations mentioned on the letter, as well as to the most important cities in the nation, so, if their enemies were to make their move now, they would only take over small, unimportant territories that could be easily reconquered later. They also wouldn't be the only ones doing so - since the army had become much smaller than it used to be, they would need foreign assistance if they were to simultaneously defend every part of their nation.

Zuko would not accept losing permanent control of even one single village, no matter how insignificant. And neither would Azula.

"Who should we ask to help us?" she asked.

"First we'll send a letter to Ba Sing Se. Uncle Iroh will stay in the palace while my friends and i deal with this."

Azula had to resist the urge to complain about that plan. Sure, she had predicted Zuko would want to play an active role in this - that was not the problem. While she understood the risks, she could also see how it would affect moral and possibly win people over to see the Fire Lord himself fighting alongside his army to defend his people. As long he didn't do anything stupid, this strategy could be beneficial.

But she hated the way Zuko had orchestrated a plan the excluded her - his friends would be the ones fighting by his side, and their uncle would be the one ruling in the palace while he was away.

"And then?"

"Then we'll send a hawk to Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors, and one to the northern water tribe. We'll need to interrogate the people Katara and Aang found, and to find the others, so I'll send for Toph and June" he paused for a second "I'll write to Sokka too."

"Just him? No one else in the south pole?"

Zuko shook his head "No, the southern water tribe is still doesn't have enough people to be able to send us help _and_ defend their own territory."

"Then I don't see the point of asking Sokka to come at all. It will take him long to get here, and we need to act fast."

"I know, I'm not going to wait for him before I make a move. He'll just have to join the battle later than the others."

"Look, I know he's your friend, but are you sure he'll make a difference?"

"He's good at coming up with plans on the spot" he insisted "I'll need that in battle."

_You'll need me, too,_ Azula wanted to say.

But she knew now was not the time. Zuko, as well as everything he had been working so hard to achieve, was now in danger. They would have find out just how many people they could count on, divide them in groups, then decide which group would go to which place, and what they would have to do once they got there. And, most important of all, they had to put some foolish traitors on their place, and they had to do it effectively and fast. It was going to be a lot of hard work.

And if Azula did everything right, it could become an opportunity to take back everything that was rightfully her's: her firebending, her political power... and her brother.


	16. New Strategies; Part Two

By the time they were done sending all the messenger-hawks, and giving instructions to all the subordinates, the sun was already about to rise. Azula was tired, but she could see that Zuko had it way worse - he had barely slept the past two days, after all. He looked absolutely exhausted, but she knew him well enough to know he would find it hard to rest after such a shock.

...And after what had happened in her room.

She had intended to ask him to bring their mother to visit her, since she had finally decided it was time to try to confront the issue she had been avoided for so long. But apparently Zuko had the same idea, and she just couldn't miss her chance to finally have him for herself. 

It didn't matter. Zuko had already sent people to bring their mother and her family to palace, to make sure they were safe, so Azula would have the chance to deal her later. Now she had to make sure her brother didn't waste the opportunity they had just been given.

"There is one fatal flaw in your plan, you know" she commented as she closed his window and shut his curtains. 

Zuko just closed his eyes and sighed "Tell me what it is, and please tell me you thought of a solution."

"Of course I did" she lied down next to him "You seem to have forgotten you have one the strongest firebenders to ever live on your side. And she knows just how to handle traitors, too."

"Azula, you know I can't allow you to go to a battle again, at least not now."

"Zuko, you're already going to infuriate everyone anyways. Our people won't like having so many foreigners interfering in our nation, and all the other rulers will hate you for asking the world to help us out after our family nearly wiped them out. You might as well guarantee your victory while angering them just a little more."

"That's not all that I'm worried about, Azula" he turned to face her "You were supposed to learn how to be more than just somebody's weapon. There's no telling what going to back to being a soldier would do to you, mentally. I won't risk undoing all the progress you made."

"How sweet of you" she deadpanned "But has it occurred to you that I also want to look out for you? Not only you would be going to battle as a Fire Lord - one who has no heirs - but you're also a reckless, impatient, stubborn mess of a man. You need someone to make sure you won't act stupid and get yourself killed, and we both know I'm the only who really knows how to handle you."

He pulled her closer, and had a disappointed look on his face "If I stay here, and let uncle Iroh go to battle in my place, will you stay too?"

"Of course not" Azula freed herself from his embrace "I'm never going to just sit back and let someone else do a mediocre job at something I know i'd excel at. I know what I have to do, Zuko. I will find every single traitor that is still hiding somewhere in our nation, and I will bring them to you. I'll make sure our people don't forget who their rightful leaders are, and I'll remind every other king and lord and general that this is _our nation._ I'll come up with battle plans and defeat all of our enemies, one by one, _because that's what I was born to do_ " she paused and smiled maliciously at her brother.

Gently, she put a hand on his shoulder, making him lie on his back. She felt absolutely delighted as his eyes widened and his face turned red as she sat on his lap, straddling him "And these traitors might have actually done us a kindness if you think about it" she said, pressing quick, tender kisses to his cheeks and jaw.

"What do you mean?" his voice was merely a whisper now.

"What I mean, dum-dum, is that having me help save the Fire Nation from traitors could gain me some sympathy" she went on kissing his face as she spoke "And, if we're lucky, it might make people a little more accepting of our... _situation_ , as you say."

Her brother's eyes widened again. But slowly, she saw as his surprise gave way to a little hope, despite the obvious fear he still felt.

Azula smiled and brought her lips to his. After a moment, Zuko's hands cupped her face. He kissed her passionately, but Azula could almost taste his doubt, and the despair to hold onto the unlikely chance that their relationship wouldn't make him lose everything he had built. That he _could_ be with her after all.

"What are you doing to me?" he muttered after he broke the kiss, looking at her with those big, confused, loving eyes.

"I'm just taking care of what's mine, Zuzu" she pulled away from him "Now sleep, I need you to actually rest a little before can I toy with you."

Zuko embraced her again, entangling his legs with her's, and resting his head on her chest, right above her heart. Azula gently ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him like he had to her many times before.


	17. Compromise

"I thought we had already discussed this, Zuzu."

"You gave me a speech on why you wouldn't back down" Zuko corrected "That's not the same discussing an issue."

"Oh, I did more than just talk. And you liked it quite a lot, didn't you?" she said with a devilish smile, making him blush. He still felt a bit disoriented whenever he tried to think about everything that had happened the previous night. One moment he's kissing Azula - kissing _his own sister -_ and feeling like he's in paradise; the next he's faced with the possibility of a new war. And then, suddenly, he's in her arms again, listening to her every word, wanting to pretend something good could come out of this ordeal. Pretending victory meant the world would ignore his sickness. 

"Don't change the subject. It's not going to work."

_This time._

His sister sighed "Why you are you making such a big deal out of this? I've been in dozens, if not hundreds of battles. I know what to do, and I do it well. And, in case it wasn't clear, I enjoy it a lot."

"You've been in dozens of battles, _and it nearly destroyed you."_

"It won't happen again" she insisted, being absolute stubborn and unresonable, making Zuko feel like he was talking to a female version of himself.

_How did uncle Iroh put up with me all this time?_

"You're right, it won't. Because I won't allow it" 

"Look, if you want to win, sacrifices have to be made. Everyone who has ever been to a war had to deal with unresolved emotional problems, inclunding you, your friends, and even our Uncle. It's illogical to treat me as some kind of exception. And it makes a lot more sense to send a disgraced princess to battle than to risk the Fire Lord's life, but you're still going to potentially put yourself in harm's way because you feel it's right, and it could actually pay off if you succeed. This isn't that different, and would have a far less negative effect if it failed."

"This IS entirely different, Azula! Like you said, I've had a lot to deal with, and so did everyone else, but what you went through is something much more dangerous! You came close to completely losing yourself!"

"Yes, because I was fighting for a lunatic who saw me as a killing machine instead of a human being. That's how I know I'll be fine this time, Zuzu. You're nothing like our father."

Zuko shook his head negatively "I won't take any risks when it comes to this. I can't."

Azula simply looked annoyed. She wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Why is this so important to you?" he asked, trying desperately to follow her train of thought so he find a way to convince her to back down, but only succeeding in making his sister look at him like he was either stupid or insane.

"We've been through this, Zuko! It's what I was born to do! It's what I am!"

_That_ again. That terrifying idea once again.

He had to make her understand. The image of her defeated, chained up, screaming and crying had been permanently burned into his mind. And even though she was doing much better now, he would never forget the despair and heartbreak of hearing her cries of pain echoing through the hall as he'd rush to her side in the middle of the night.

"No, it isn't. You're more than that. You're much, much more than that. Your life shouldn't be defined by whatever idiot decides they want to set the world on fire" seeing the disdain in her eyes made Zuko feel like a fool. He should have known pleading would never work on his sister. "You _have_ to stay here in the palace. It's for your own good, Azula. I'm sorry, but my decision is final."

"You're making a terrible mistake, Zuko. You need me."

"You think I don't know that?" he lost control of his temper "I know how capable you are! I know I could easily win any battle if I had you by my side! But is just not worth it! Nothing..." he paused for a moment, pondering if he really should say what he was thinking.

_We've already crossed that line._

Zuko lowered his voice as he reached out to pull her closer to him "Nothing is worth losing you. I won't make you go through all that pain again just for my own personal gain. I don't care if it means i will lose everything." 

His sincerity seemed to have gotten through her a little, her gaze becoming more gentle for just one brief moment.

"I know what it feels like to spend your whole life thinking you have to prove yourself 'useful'. But you don't have anything to prove to me or to anyone else, Azula. And I won't let you throw your life away again.

She then tried to keep her expression neutral, but Zuko saw the pain and disappointment in her eyes. It made him feel guilty, but he knew this was for the best. He hoped his sister would eventually be able to realise it too.

"Then at least let me practice my firebending again" her voice carried no emotion "To protect myself and our family."

_To still have some kind of control,_ he believed was what she truly wanted to say.

"You can start today if you want. And I want you to come to every council meeting, we'll need someone as clever as you on our side. And I'll need you to help me with other things after I come back" getting no response, he tried to connect with her again "I know how you must be feeling right now, but please believe me. I _do_ want you by my side, Azula."

Azula merely nodded. Her whole demeanor was cold and aloof.

"Our mother will be here soon. We should go meet her" she finally said, walking away.

Zuko had not expected _that._ The moment he sent people to bring their mother and her family to the palace, he had already been surprised he did not have to deal with a violently negative reaction from Azula, but he had not dared to hope he wouldn't have to keep them on opposing sides of the palace, and the deal with the tension that would cause, since Azula's feelings about her had not seemed to change at all.

_I just don't understand how her mind works. I never did. Maybe that's the problem._


	18. Family Meeting

The second Zuko walked into the room, Kiyi hugged him.

"Are you okay? Did someone attack you? Are we in danger?" she asked looking up at him with panic in her eyes.

"Calm down" he reassured her, then looked at his mother and step-father "No one attacked anyone, and we're not in danger, I promise."

"You shouldn't lie, Zuzu" he heard Azula saying. Her presence immediately made everyone in the room look either tense or shocked. Their mother looked like she was seeing something completely surreal.

_She might as well be. Azula had been avoiding her for so long, she probably thought she'd never stop._

"No one attacked us and no one is in danger _yet._ We've heard of plots to dethrone Zuko and free Ozai, so we're preparing for conflict. Zuko wants the three of you to stay in the palace until it's all over" she had not raised her voice, but her words made her sound domineering and commanding in a way that could scare the bravest man alive. She had always been good at being the most important person in the room, and having everyone's attention focused solely on her.

"Is she...?" Kiyi asked in a secretive voice. Zuko nodded, hoping Azula's words had not scared her like they had obviously done to Ursa and Ikem.

To his, and everyone's, surprise, she ran to Azula and wrapped her little arms around her, making the princess look at him with an expression that could have been either angry or a confused cry for help.

"Is so good to finally meet you! Zuzu talks about you all the time! I heard you were sick, are you doing better now? I wanted to visit you but no one let me!" 

Azula awkwardly patted their little sister's head, and disentangled herself from her "I'm fine. I assume you're Kiyi."

"Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly "I'm your sister!"

"I know" Azula said, looking completely unsure of how to deal with the little girl's excitement, which made Zuko smile. She had not believed him when he told her Kiyi was really happy to have an older sister. Or rather, to have _her_ as an older sister.

"It is an honor to meet you" Ikem said, bowing to her, and Azula decided to be polite enough to return the gesture.

Zuko became tense again as he saw Azula looking at their mother.

"I would like to speak you later" she said, making Ursa's eyes widen and her jaw drop. Azula raised an eye-brow "Is there a problem?"

"No! Of course not! It's just... unexpected" she then smiled sweetly, eyes shining.

"Don't get too happy. I'm not doing this for you, but because my doctors think it could be good for me, and because it's pretty much inevitable at this point."

"She's mean" Kiyi whispered to Zuko.

"I know" he responded, hoping Azula didn't listen.

"It's still more than I could have hoped for. And more than I deserve" there was sadness in her voice, but it clearly didn't affect Azula.

"It _is_ more than you deserve. Good to see you at least acknowledge it."

"So, Zuko" Ikem said in a tone that barely avoided being desperate "Could you have someone show us to our chambers?"

"Of course!" he felt stupid for not thinking of it before, and called the name of one of the servents "Please take my guests to their chambers... and give Kiyi her gift."

"Gift?" her face immediately lit up again "You're the best big brother ever, Zuzu!" she said hugging him for a breif second before running to get her surprise. He hoped she liked the doll he chose for her.

"Is she always... like that?" Azula asked when they were alone.

"Most of the time. She'll throw a tantrum every now and again."

"Oh, just like you."

"I don't..." Zuko stopped himself. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of making him act like a little kid. "About our mom..."

"I know, I know, I won't do it in front of the kid again. But don't expect me to suddenly adore the woman" she paused "Can you ask Chise and Mayu to be in the room when i talk to her?"

"Sure. I can be there too if you want."

She nodded and started to walk away, but Zuko grabbed her wrist "It's okay if you don't want to do this."

"I'm going to have to deal with this sooner or later, so it's better to just get it over with." she freed herself from his grasp. Before Zuko could say anything, she gave him a quick kiss "But thank you anyway."

Zuko stood there absolutely astonished, watching his sister go. Once his brain started functioning again, he looked around to make sure no one had seen them. Part of him wanted to reprimand her for being so reckless.

... And another just wanted her to do it again.


	19. Open Wound

"Are you sure you want to do this, your highness?" Chise asked.

"Yes" Azula lied "It's like you said, I have to deal with how i feel about my mother if I want to move on."

"Very well. But there's no shame in changing your mind."

"And we'll be right by your side if you need us to intervene" Mayu added, making Azula feel a little better. Despite of everything, she liked those two. They had cared for her for so long, and actually tried to understand her instead of just treating her like an animal they were trying to domesticate. Their presence had never truly bothered her, and by that point she had already started to enjoy their company.

The two doctors followed Azula as she made her way to the room where her mother would be waiting for her, and the princess had the impression that the gigantic palace had magically become much smaller, for the few minutes it took to walk through all the halls separating them from Ursa felt like mere seconds to her.

_Calm down, you've been through much worse than this._

Azula felt a bit better as the doors opened and she saw Zuko standing next to their mother. It would be easier to do this if he was around, and she could recognize that it had been sweet of him to offer to do so before she even had the chance to ask him to - though she was still a little mad because of his refusal to let her join him in the battles that were to come.

All the guards and servants left, leaving only the five of them on the room.

"Shall we begin?" Azula said as she took a seat.

Without a word, her mother took the seat in front of her. Catching both of them by surprise, Zuko didn't sit next to Ursa. Chise and Mayu, however, had expected that, sitting next to the former Fire Lady, allowing Zuko to be by Azula's side. When he did so, she smiled sweetly at him, and her brother responded by placing his hand on top of her's, then gently squeezing it.

When the princess looked at their mother again, she was able to catch a glimpse of the discomfort that had been visible on her face before she managed to keep a mostly neutral expression. 

_She heard the rumors._

"I've been told you two have gotten quite close" she said, as if to confirm Azula's suspicions - or maybe to try and ignore her own. Her smile looked convincing enough, but the apprehension was evident in her eyes. Like she was begging them to talk about whatever it was she had heard, and proove to her that it was either a misunderstanding or a lie.

Azula didn't cave.

"Yes. Closer than we've ever been. Right, Zuzu?" Azula said, turning her head to him, who looked visibly uncomfortable and merely nodded "He's so kind and attentive, mother. You must be so proud."

"I am" Ursa answered, and, to her credit, there was not a trace of insecurity in her voice "Almost as much as I am proud of you. I just wish I could have seen you sooner."

"Forgive me for interrupting, my lady, but you have to remember _why_ you couldn't do it sooner. I understand being away from your daughter must have been extremely difficult for you, but it was a necessary evil" Chise said, making Azula want to thank the woman for standing up for her.

"But now you're both here" Mayu's optimistic tone made the tension more bearable "Your highness, what was it you wanted to talk to your mother about?"

" _She's_ the one who wanted to talk, I just decided to finally let her."

Once again, Ursa didn't let Azula's words get to her "I simply wanted to see how you were doing, my love. I was worried about you."

_Liar._

"I know you don't believe me, and I know I gave you no reason to" she went on "But it's true. I regret ever hurting you, and I missed you terribly. I wish I could go back and fix everything I did wrong, but I can't."

"No" Azula grimaced, tears forming in her eyes "You can't."

Her mother took a deep breath before she went on, making the princess wonder if she was also fighting the urge to cry "I'm not here because I expect you to forgive my mistakes or forget that I wasn't the mother you deserved. I just want you to know that, if you ever need me, I'll be here for you, like I should have been from the beginning."

As the tears finally streamed down her face, Azula felt her brother put his hand on her shoulder. When she looked at him, she could almost see the question in his eyes - did she want to leave?

For once, she didn't.


	20. Tenderness

Azula had almost fallen asleep by the time Zuko finally came to her room again.

"Kiyi kept asking a bunch of questions to make sure I really am safe" he explained, looking somewhat embarrassed, though Azula wasn't sure if it was because he knew she would berate him for never being on time, or because he was now being bossed around by a literal child.

"Well, the more people reminding you not to get yourself killed, the better."

Her brother smiled sheepishly, then joined her in bed. As he was lying down, his robe opened up just enough to reveal part of the scar on his chest, and Azula's eyes were immediately drawn to it, even though she knew it could make Zuko uncomfortable. She was pretty sure she stared at it more than anyone had ever stared at the scar on his face, but she couldn't help it.

She reached out to touch it, and Zuko allowed it.

"Were you ever afraid of me? After I stopped pushing you away, I mean. Were you ever afraid I would relapse and try to kill you again?" she asked as her fingers gently traced the scar.

"I was afraid _for you._ I was focused on helping you get better. Everything else came second."

_He's stupid and reckless. And I don't deserve him._

"It could have been the worst mistake you would have ever made in your life. Why did you take the chance? How did you know you could trust me?"

Zuko took her hand in his, making her finally stop looking at his scar "All I knew was that I cared about you, and that I wanted you in my life. I _had_ to trust you. I had to believe you really had changed" he smiled, but there was no joy in his eyes or is his voice "I always found a way to believe you."

_Azula always lies,_ her brother would repeat to himself a million times, and still go along with everything she wanted him to. Even when he didn't truly believe her, he always acted like he did. 

"I'm sorry" the words came out of her mouth against her will "I'm sorry I ever lied to you. And I shouldn't have tried to manipulate you when my doctors wanted to separate us" her hand cupped his face "I should have known you wouldn't leave me."

"It's okay. I forgive you" he said, like she knew he would, grabbing her hand again and kissing it "And I'm proud of you" After a few moments, he spoke up again "I'm sorry too."

"For what?"

"For not realizing sooner that you needed help" he kissed her wrist "for not being there for you when you needed me."

"It wasn't your fault, Zuzu" she assured him.

Zuko rolled up her robe's sleeve, exposing the scars on her arm "It will never happen again" he promissed before kissing one her scars, and the gesture left her speechless "I won't let anyone hurt you" he kept pressing quick kisses to her skin.

Azula pulled him in for an embrace, repeatedly kissing his cheek and neck. Zuko laughed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and pressing his body against her's. When he brought his lips to her's, she felt her mind racing. Something about his kindness had put her on the edge and made her act more agressive than she had meant to. She needed something, but didn't quite know what it was, or how to take it. Sure, Azula had always known she wanted _him,_ but it felt different this time. She wasn't in control, and it scared her.

Her brother must have realized it, 'cause he broke the kiss to look at her, the concern in his eyes letting her know he was trying to understand if he had crossed a line. Azula simply buried her face on the curve of his neck. Zuko stroked her hair and soothed her.

After a minute or two, she pulled away just enough to allow him to see her, so he'd know she was okay. Zuko's loving gaze practically forced her to kiss him again. He hesitated for an instant, then kissed back. 

_Poor thing. He must be so confused._

Well, he should have know she wouldn't change _that much._


	21. Reverence

Zuko couldn't stop looking at her. As much as he liked to believe he was a braver man now, witnessing Azula firebend after such a long time was terrifying. It filled him with an unmistakable sense of dread he had only felt three times before. The first, a few months before he was banished, when her red flames finally turned blue. The second during their official first fight as enemies, when she had tricked him and almost took him prisoner. The third time was, of course, during their Agni Kai.

Now there was another one he could add to the list. Azula freely practicing her firebending after two years of only using it when she was out of her mind. As far he could tell, her natural ability had not been diminished by lack of practice.

Azula seemed to disagree.

All of her forms were absolutely perfect, yet, somehow, she always looked unhappy with her performance, and would repeat each and every move - even the most basic ones - _at least_ twenty more times before starting to work on the next. Zuko warned her a million times not to go to such extremes, but she just ignored him and continued training. Under the hot sun, being watched, and being _feared._

The guards and servants were at a safe distance from her, but they would pale, jump, and even look like they were seriously considering running away screaming.

But their eyes never left her, and neither did Zuko's. Every single fire ball, jet, wall, and shield was terrifying - and absolutely beautiful. Those sudden explosions of blue, the quick movements and perfect stances, as well as the grace that was inherent to Azula's every action, created an unbelievable spectacle. One that caused the type of awe that only the strongest benders could make people feel. And the fact that she was the only person in history to have blue fire was enough to shock people in a way that was similar to the reaction they had to Aang's power. 

_She was born lucky._

For a long time, Zuko had believed that was a simple and ideal way to explain why Azula was so good at everything she did. Luck. Some random blessing from the universe. She was talented and everything just came easy to her. Now he could see the truth: his sister was good at everything she put her mind to because she worked hard. Because she was stubborn, focused, and fearless. She had fought for everything she had in life, just like him.

One last wall of fire, and Azula finally seemed pleased with herself, smiling confidently. She removed the pin from her hair, undoing the top-knot that had already turned into a mess due to her intense training. 

_She should let her hair down more often._ _She looks evern more beautiful like this._

His sister started moving again, and Zuko's breath immediately got caught up in his throat as he realized what she was about to do.

A flash of light burned through the bright blue sky. Then another, and then one more. Over and over again, Azula would focus all of her apparently illimited energy to create lightning, mesmerizing the people around. 

Zuko wasn't surprised. After all, he had seen her generate lighting while she was literally losing her mind, so it only made sense that she would be able to do it while she was healing. 

But that didn't mean he wasn't admiring it. Azula's unstoppable, deadly power made her comparable to a force of nature, while her precise, cold, calculating mind set her apart from everything and everyone else. It had always captivated him, and for a long time it made him envy her.

After what Zuko was sure had been her quickest and strongest move - not just of the day, but of her entire life - Azula finally stopped. The only thing indicating she was even remotely tired was the deep breath she took after she finished. But Zuko was sure that she would regret pushing herself so hard, and so suddenly.

_Though most people would already be in agony after such an intense training session._

With a quick snap of her fingers, two servants rushed to her side, bringing her a towel and some water. She drank it all at once, then grabbed the towel, wiping the sweat off her face. She raised an eyebrow once she saw him walking towards her as well.

"I told you you'd be as great as always."

"Please, I can tell when my performance is off" Azula scoffed.

"I don't think so" Zuko laughed.

His sister offered him a playful look "Really? Then tell me, brother, do you think I could beat you if were to duel right now?"

Obviously she was joking, but it didn't stop the poor servants from looking at them with panic in their eyes, expecting to see their Fire Lord either attack or be attacked by the 'evil' princess.

"You'll stop scaring people for your own amusement and I'll let you shoot all the fire you want at me when we train tomorrow. Do we have a deal?"

"Of course not! Scaring people is fun, and it is what I do best" Azula said as she dried up the sweat on her neck "And there's no point in dueling you if you're not going to fight back" she complained in a tone that, somehow, sounded both menacing and childish as she signaled for the servants to leave. 

Zuko simply shook his head and smiled "We'll deal with this some other day. Now take some time off until lunch, and maybe a little more after that. I'm going to need you to be well rested later."

" _Oh_ " she lowered her voice, smiling maliciously, her eyes meeting his, letting him to see the devilish joy on them "Please, Zuzu, tell me what exactly do you need me for? I'd love to hear it."

"That's n-not what I meant!" his cheeks were burning.

"I know" she sighed "It never is. I'm trying to let you take your time, I really am, but there's only so much a girl can stand, you know?"

He wished the ground would crumble underneath his feet and allow him to disappear. 

" _Why_ do you have to do that to me?"

"I just want my big brother to know how badly I need him" she pouted, looking all innocent, then smirked "And like I said, I love scaring people."


	22. Important Conversations; Part One

When Zuko was warned that Toph and June had made it to the palace, he felt unsure if he wanted to hear what they had managed to find out. Sure, knowing how his people felt about him was absolutely important now that a new war could be about to start, but he was absolute certain that he would do something stupid depending on how said opinion would affect his (new?) relationship with Azula.

His sister had not exactly helped when she teased him after her training. Just the way she spoke had gotten to him more than anything any other girl had ever done to get his attention. Usually, having Azula always in his mind made it easier for him to do his job, since he could practically hear her telling him what to do. But now it was only making him unable to focus on anything at all. 

“Keep stressing out like that, and your heart will explode before anyone can even come up with a plan to get rid of you” Toph’s mocking tone brought him back to reality. June’s smile let him know he would _definitively_ lose his temper. 

“Close the door” he asked, and the bounty hunter complied, taking a seat next to Toph afterwards. 

“So, did you fuck your sister already?” 

Zuko felt his face turning red, but this time it wasn’t just out of embarrassment. 

“Need I remind you you’re talking to the Fire Lord?” his words just made her laugh, looking incredulous. 

“Drop the act, kid. You’ll need more than a crown and a title to make me see you as anything other than the overtly dramatic boy I met two years ago. And besides, I'm not even a Fire Nation citizen. You have no authority over me... nor does your sister” her smirk made Zuko even more furious. 

“Why do you want to talk about Azula so badly?” he tried – and failed – to hide his anger. June was almost as great as his sister in making him lose his temper. 

Toph laughed “She just wants to know which one of us owes the other money.” 

It took Zuko a moment to fully process what he had heard. 

“You... you two made a bet...” he couldn’t finish his sentence. He couldn’t even tell if he was angry, shocked, or embarrassed. 

“On whether you and Azula are doing it?” Toph said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 

“So...” June spoke up again after she understood Zuko was probably not going to do anything until someone brought him back to Earth “Is she your mistress already?” 

“Don’t talk about her like that” he answered immediately. 

“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn’t realize you two were the prudish type. Are you _committed_ to your insane sister?” 

“If I answer, can we discuss whether or not my people are going to turn on me?” he really should have listened to Azula and not ask these two for help. 

Toph sighed, and leaned back on the chair, a grumpy expression on her face “That’s a yes, isn’t it?” 

Zuko shifted uncomfortably “Kind of” 

June turned to look at Toph “Pay up.” 

“That’s too vague. Did you two...” 

“No!” 

_Not yet,_ he could almost hear Azula say. 

“We’re just...seeing what happens” Agni, all he wanted was for this conversation to end. 

“Man, I thought it’d take at least another month for her to snap you out of your denial! Can’t believe you caved in just a few days” Toph complained. 

“I told you she had him wrapped around her finger...” 

“How did _you_ know what was happening?” 

“Kid, please, you two are not subtle. Honestly, I'm not even sure your sister was trying to hide it. Anyone who spent just a little time with the two of you could tell, and you hired me a bunch of times to capture criminals. I’m just surprised _you_ didn’t realize it until someone spelled it out for you.” 

_Why didn’t I listen to Azula?_

He turned to his friend “Toph, are you... okay with this?” 

She just leaned back again and put her feet on his desk – he decided to let it slide this time “I think it’s weird. But it’s also one of the less horrifying things your family has done. And the way you assured me this whole thing was ‘the way it was supposed to be’ between you two was kind of sweet... in a really, really, REALLY bizarre way.” 

Zuko sighed in relief. At least one of his friendships wasn’t going to end because of this. 

“Please don’t tell the others. I want to explain it to them myself.” 

“Only if I can be there when you tell them” she paused and started laughing “Oh, Katara and Suki are going to lose their minds, _specially_ Katara. Tinkle-Toes will probably try to act all calm and forgiving, and it will be amazing when he finally breaks. And Sokka and I are going to have so much fun mocking you once he gets over it.” 

“Do you really think they'll ever get over it?” 

“Of course they will. So will your uncle, by the way. Though you’ll probably have to deal a lot of screaming first” the disinterested way she spoke made him feel just a little more confident. 

“Are you two done?” June asked “Aren’t we supposed to talk about our ‘investigation’? 

_Sure._ ** _Now_** _she wants to discuss that._

_“_ Well, since you both know everything anyway, I'll ask Azula to join us. This is about her too, after all. 

“Makes sense” the bounty hunter said “Specially since she’s the only one of you two who actually has a brain.” 

Zuko gritted his teeth. Azula better be too tired to antagonize him – he could spontaneously combust if he had to put up with her, Toph, _and_ June mocking him. 


	23. Important Conversations; Part Two

“What are you doing?” Kiyi’s voice made Azula look up from her scroll, seeing the kid standing right outside her door. 

“Reading” she went back to it, hoping the girl would take the hint and go away. 

Instead, she simply walked up to her, and threw herself on Azula’s bed, leaving the princess absolutely shocked.

“Zuzu said you pushed yourself too hard on your training and needed to rest. And that you’d pretend you don’t actually need it.” 

_I’m not pretending. It’s just that I really don’t need it._

Why was she thinking of how to justify herself to a child anyway? 

“What are you? Another one of Zuko’s guards? There’s plenty of people keeping an eye on me. Go play with your dolls.” 

“You have to rest” Kiyi insisted.

“I _am_ resting. Or at least I was until you walked in” Zuko better find someone to keep that child away from her, or else... 

“Are you sure? Wouldn’t sleeping be better than just being in bed? How come you don’t want to sleep after all of... _that_ ” the kid looked a little scared now. She had not been allowed to watch Azula training, but she obviously _heard it_. Which had to be more terrifying. 

“Fine, I'll sleep. You can go now.”

“You don’t like me.” 

“What?” the princess didn't even try to hide her annoyance.

“You don’t like me” Kiyi repeated, looking a little sad “Zuzu said you’re at least a little mean to everyone, but I still saw talking to a bunch of people. Why can’t you talk to me too?” 

“Look” Azula put the scroll away “I don’t _dislike_ you, okay? I don’t know what I think of you. We just met.” 

“But I like you” the kid argued, pouting and looking at her with pleading eyes that reminded her of all the times Ty Lee would beg her and Mai for the three of them to play with dolls when they were little. 

“Why?” 

“Because you’re my sister!” she said as if it was obvious, and Azula didn’t like that at all. _She_ was the one who’d get exasperated at someone else’s stupidity, not the other way around. 

“We just met” Azula repeated. 

“Yes, but mom and Zuzu told me so much about you!” the little girl looked like she was trying hard to stop herself from jumping up and down as she spoke “You were the smartest girl in your school, and always got perfect grades. You’re the only person in the world with blue fire, and you took down Ba Sing Se when you were fourteen! Plus, you’re really pretty.” 

_She knows how to please people. I’ll give her that._

“Oh, and Zuzu said you’re a great actress too.” 

“I guess you have point" Azula conceded, but there's was something that needed to be addressed "You should call him _Zuko_ , not Zuzu.” 

“Why?” 

“Because _I_ call him Zuzu” she explained. 

“That’s not fair!” Kiyi’s anger just made her look more childish. 

_And you think you’re acting like an adult now?_ Her ‘mother’ asked. 

“It is absolutely fair” Azula responded “This has always been _my_ nickname for him.” 

“I never heard _Zu-_ _zu_ say that” she insisted. 

“Of course you didn’t. He doesn’t want you to be upset. But that is _our_ thing. Either call him Zuko, or come up another nickname for him.” 

“Let’s make a deal.”

“No.” 

“I’ll come up with another nickname for him” Kiyi went on as if Azula never interrupted her “And one for you as well! What do you think of ‘Lala’?” 

Azula looked at her in absolute horror, and the child pouted again. 

“Then I'll keep calling him Zuzu. You’re already his favorite sister, so it’s only fair.” 

_That_ go to her, and Kiyi must have realized it. 

“Oh, it’s okay. You two grew up together and he only met me a year ago, so it make’s sense that he loves you more.” 

_How am I supposed to respond to this?_

"Zuzu doesn’t love me more than he loves you, it’s just that... what we have is... different. He’ll explain it to you when you’re older.” 

They stayed silent for a little while. Kiyi then rested her head on Azula’s lap, making the princess freeze in place. 

“So... about the nicknames...” 

Azula sighed, not believing what she was about to say “You can call me ‘Zula’, okay?” 

“I’ll call you ‘Zula’ in front of other people, and ‘Lala’ when it’s just us and Zuzu. I mean, us and _Zuko._ Deal?” 

“Fine” Azula lied back against the pillows “No one told me you were that difficult.” 

_Must be genetic._

The princess expected the little girl to finally leave, but she didn’t. Instead, she just looked at her with a cute expression on her face, using her leg as a pillow and seeming absolutely at peace. 

Unlike Azula. 

Thankfully, a guard showed up to rescue her, saying Zuko needed her to come to his office.

“I’ll talk to you later, Zula!” 

_When did my life turn into this?_


	24. Important Conversations; Part Three

As she made her way to her brother's office, Azula could feel just how badly her training in a few hours before had affected her body. Everything was starting to hurt, and every other step she worried her legs would simply stop working. Being on her bed for a while had made her feel much better, but now that she was moving again, she could definitively understand why Zuko had been nagging her to rest.

That didn't mean she regretted what she did. Even though her brother had made her feel safe, protected and loved in a way she had never experienced before, the past months had also been pretty suffocating. Having guards and doctors following her around and watching her every move made her feel like a captured animal, locked away in a cage that was too small for her. Being able to firebend again was a reminder, both to herself and others, that she _could_ fight back if she wanted to.

And, of course, having Zuko watch her so intently, looking both terrified and proud, was very good for her ego. Almost as much as the embarrassed, sheepish expression on his face when she opened the door the smiled at him.

_It takes so little to make him nervous around me._

"So, what did your two detectives find out, Zuzu?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Long story short" the earthbender said "Everyone is weirded out by the situation, but I doubt there'll be riots on the cities closest to the capital. Though people might need a little more incentive to keep supporting Zuko if you two make your relationship public."

Azula locked eyes with her brother, but he looked away, which only made her smirk.

"You two clearly did something right" the bounty hunter sounded almost serious for once "Every commoner and nobleman seems to like your country better now."

That was not surprising, since Zuko was kinder to every one of his subjects than Ozai had ever been to his own family, and he actually allowed the other nobles to enjoy their privileges without the constant implicit threat that any minor mistake would be considered treason - after all, who would feel safe being ruled by a man who disfigured his own son simply for speaking out of turn to _spare_ people who were below them in their nation's hierarchy. Loving the man who was less likely to kill them was perfectly reasonable.

Despite that, her brother decided to think negatively "The areas around the capital weren't as affected by the war. I didn't have the means or the time to help everyone, so it's not impossible some people would try to dethrone me as soon as I give them a chance."

_Stop being so dramatic, dum-dum._

Azula put a hand on his shoulder "You won't give them a chance, Zuzu. We already know we're mostly safe where we are, and that important people won't turn on us. We'll interrogate the traitors, get as much information as possible, fight some other traitors, and then go back to normal." 

"And you've got some pretty strong allies too" the earthbender said with a cocky tone that Azula could almost respect.

"When the news about me and Azula get to the Earth Kingdom... how would people react?"

"Eager to tell everyone, Zuzu?" she joked, making him look angry "Oh, don't give me that look. I think it's sweet of you to not want to keep it a secret" she continued teasing, pinching his cheek.

"You would have loved hearing the talk we had before" June said "If I had called you his mistress one more time, he would have probably made a long speech on how you'll be his Fire Lady."

It was Azula's turn to blush. And it was also the final push that made her brother snap.

"Just answer the question!" he shouted.

"Fine. They'll be grossed out and make fun of you. But i think they'd accept an incestuous world leader that leaves them alone over one that would invade their country and kill them" the woman assured him.

"Besides, most nobles will accept anything as long it means they'll still be rich and powerful. I can use some of my family's money and influence to make some key people stay out of your way."

_Oh, yes, she's a Beifong,_ Azula thought to herself. She would often forget Toph was not just some random girl Zuko and his friends found in a poor, dirty village and brought along on their journey.

"That's gonna have to wait" the princess spoke up again "For now, we'll need your money to help rebuild the few parts of our nation that still haven't recovered from the war. And you'll be sent to the areas where you and your friends hid during the war. The people there are more sympathetic to you, and it will allow us to send _our_ army to deal with the cities that are still hostile to foreigners."

"Fine, but I have one condition: I want statues to homage me" the three of them stared at her in silence for a long time "I'm giving you guys a lot of help, and protecting your people _again._ I deserve it."

"Alright, but only after this has all been dealt with, and you're gonna make them yourself. Oh, Zuko is going to need a few too, and as soon as possible."

"Deal."

Before Zuko could say anything, Azula allowed the two women to leave. Once they were alone, she wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, giving him a quick kiss to try and improve his mood, but it didn't seem to work "Don't even try to argue about this. I know you think is a waste of time, but it is a symbol of power. Father had them, and so did Azulon and Sozin."

"They were all destroyed."

"But people saw them. And now they'll see yours, and remember _you_ are the one in command" she paused for a moment "Now be honest, do you really want people to know about us?"

He looked like he was struggling to find the words "Everyone in the palace already knows, and so do most people around the capital. There's no way to stop everyone else from figuring it out."

"That's not what I asked."

He sighed and gently took her hand "I want to be with you. If letting the world know is what would make you happy, then that's what I'll do."

Azula pulled him in for a passionate kiss, trying to make him feel her gratitude and euphoria.

_He's mine. He's mine._


	25. Longing

Zuko had spent all the afternoon and most of the evening locked in his office, working with his sister, who had decided to keep on pretending she didn't need a break. It took him half an hour to convince his sister to go rest instead of continuing helping him and at least an hour and a half before he finally finished it. But it would have probably taken him a lot longer to do so had Azula stayed - telling her he planned on making their relationship public had made her unbelievably affectionate, to the point even her usual work-focused mentality was faltering every now and again, and Zuko couldn't really pay attention to anything other than her.

He organized his desk before leaving - his sister's perfectionism was definitively getting to him - and went to his room. Usually they slept in Azula's room, but she had 'joked' about moving to the Fire Lord's chambers since everyone in the palace already believed they were together, and they would soon confirm it. 

The first thing he saw as he opened the door, was Azula sleeping on his bed. She must have been unbelievably tired, because even after the most exhaustive days she would have been awake, waiting for him.

She had her hair down, and had replaced her robe with a tank-top and shorts as she would often do on particularly hot nights. But the fact that he had seen her like this before didn't stop him from staring at the beautiful sight that was displayed in front of him. Her lovely face, with only one dark lock of hair partially hiding it. The curve of her waist and round ass, framed by the scarlet clothing. Her perfect pale legs that he was sure would be soft if he touched them. 

Zuko shook his head and went on to change his clothes, getting burgundy red shorts and a matching shirt, then joining her in bed.

That only made it worst. He didn't know if it was because he had tried to fight it for so long, because Azula had been toying with him all day, or simply because his sister was that gorgeous, but he felt more tempted by her now than he had ever been by anything else in his life. He had spent the past two years convincing himself that the guilt he felt whenever he thought about Azula was due to having envied and hated her for so long, but this mess of a situation he had been put in by his lack of regard for everything and everyone else around them had forced him to see the truth.

And even though he was scared, the inevitability that everyone would know about him and Azula had finally freed him of denying himself what he wanted. 

Zuko kissed her forehead, then removed the hair from her face so he could kiss her cheek, while gently grabbing her waist the pulling her closer. He had developed a habit of kissing and caressing her, since that helped her calm down after her nightmares. He would often just hold her in his arms, soothing her even after she had already fallen asleep. But he knew that wouldn't be enough for him tonight - he didn't know how it had ever been enough.

Azula stirred as he brought his lips to her neck and shoulders again and again. He pulled away for a second, allowing her to lie on her back, then let his hands roam through her sides, feeling the curves of her body - first over the thin fabric of her cloathes, then underneath it, touching her delicate skin.

"Zuzu..." she called, blinking repeatedly as she tried to make sense of what was happening. He pressed his lips to her's, demanding a response. After a brief moment, Azula kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck and allowing his tongue to toy with her's. Zuko bit on her lower lip, then sucked it into his mouth as he cupped and squeezed her breasts, making her moan, and the sound made his blood boil with desire. He wanted her. He _needed_ her. He needed to make her his more than he needed air to breathe.

He broke the kiss and lifted her tank-top, and Azula sat up to take it off and throw it to the side, exposing her breasts. Without hesitation, Zuko made her lie down again as he massaged, groped, kissed, licked, sucked, and bit on each one, hearing his sister's gasps and moans of pleasure. Her hands were on his hair, gently grabbing at it, giving him a little more affection and keeping him close to her. After a few moments, Azula allowed him to move again, and kissed her stomach repeatedly as he snuck his right hand into her shorts.

Soaking wet. 

Zuko smiled maliciously and removed his sister's shorts and panties, leaving her fully naked. He devoured her with his eyes, making her blush - but he knew Azula well enough to be absolutely sure she wouldn't be the shy type, despite being a virgin.

He spread her legs and buried his head in between them, and her delicious taste made him moan just as she did. He dragged his tongue across her labia, flicked it over her clit, and inserted it into her clenching hole, taking all she had to offer and only becoming more and more desperate for her. He used his fingers to spread her lips so he could lick her better, then penetrated her as he sucked on her clit.

"Zuzu... Zuzu..."

She had called him that so many times throughout their lives - to mock him, to get on his nerves, to show affection and even just because it was a habit... and now that simple nickname felt like the most obscene sound in the world.

As Azula reached her peak, her walls squeezed Zuko's fingers, her moans became louder, and her whole body started to shake. He gently bit down on her thigh, then pulled away to remove his own clothes as fast as he could. He lied on top of her and entered her as she wrapped her legs around him, hands roaming freely through his body. Every now and again she'd make a pained expression for just a brief second, but her hips never stopped moving to try and meet him thrust for thrust.

"Yes! Yes! Oh, Zuko!" her moans were quickly turning into screams and it only drove him more insane. He could feel his own climax coming, but he held back, waiting to see her face as she came for him. Her lust-filled eyes slowly turning and mouth falling open as nothing but a strangled cry of pleasure came out pushed him over the edge and Zuko screamed her name as rutted in her. He did not pull out, needing her warmth and enjoying the feeling of their bodies pressed up against each other.

"You belong to me, Zuzu" his sister said, with a sweet smile on her lips and a diabolical glimmer in her eyes that sent shivers down his spine.

But he could not find it in himself to regret what he had just done. Azula had taken over his mind, and he gave his heart and soul to her. And for the first time in his life, he didn't care about anything.

Nothing mattered, except for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... And Zuzu's upper head has finally been defeated by his heart and lower head!


	26. Breakfast

For once, not only wasn't Zuko the last to arrive, he actually made it to the room before any of his 'guests' - he would never get used to the fact that he had to explicitly grant his friends and family permission to join him for a meal.

Azula, of course, was the only one who never had to ask his permission to do anything, and she had been the reason why he wasn't late this time... despite the fact that both of them would have preferred staying in bed. They were both pretty tired, and, judging by the smile she'd give him whenever their eyes met, Zuko could tell his sister was as happy as he was.

Still, a Fire Lord should be punctual, and so should a princess.

He sat at the head of the table, and Azula sat by his right side, looking absolutely contented, with a somewhat shy smile and affection in her eyes. He wasn't sure he had ever seen her like that, even when they were kids.

"Since we have a little time, Zuzu, what exactly are you going to tell our mother when she finds out I'll be moving to your room?"

"I'll tell her the truth" He answered" If she's not with Kiyi that is. I'm not sure how to explain that to a child."

_Or to anybody. Which is going to be a nightmare._

"Don't get me started on that kid. I don't know how, but you managed to make her like me, and she keeps following me around."

"It's her third day on the palace. That's not enough time for you to be irritated at her."

"Oh, _it is,_ Zuzu" she tone was dead serious "She was clever about it too. She waited until I was too tired to scream at anyone before she came to talk to me. I don't know how it happened, but now she gets to call me by _two_ nicknames."

"I'm gonna have to ask her some tips. Even I can't get away with that."

"Don't you dare" she said, punching his arm. As she put her hand on the table, Zuko covered it with his own, making his sister look at him again "You're lucky I'm in a good mood" Azula got a little closer to him, and her voice became a lot more playful "You're gonna have to keep this up if you want to stay on my good graces."

He couldn't help smirking "That won't be a problem" just as he was considering drawing her face in for a kiss, some of the 'guests' arrived. Their mother took a seat next to him, her husband by her side, while Kiyi sat next to Azula.

_Do you see why I'm mad?_ her angry glare seemed to ask him.

"Did you get to rest, Zula?" their sister asked.

"I did. For a little while at least. Zuzu had a problem and woke me up so I could... _help him_." 

Zuko fought the urge to look at her and beg her not to say that kind of thing. That would just make her double down on it. Luckly neither him nor Azula had the time to make it worse, since Xang walked in... with June and Toph beside him.

_What was I thinking? Why do I keep giving these two the chance to make fun of me?_

Xang sat next to Ikem, and June took the seat next to him, while Toph gladly went along with Kiyi's plea to have 'the greatest earthbender in history' sitting next to her. She loved hearing Zuko's stories about his friends.

Almost as much as she loved asking questions - she was way too curious and friendly, even for a kid. She wanted to hear every single story everyone had to tell. June looked almost as bored as Azula, but Xang and Toph let her have some fun.

"So you went against the Fire Lord?" Kiyi asked.

"Not directly" Xang answered "I deserted the army, got captured and sent to The Boiling Rock. My story is not as impressive as your brother's"

"What are you talking about? That is so cool!" she insisted, making him laugh.

The conversation went well until Kiyi started asking how the Fire Nation nobility worked. It made sense that she would want to understand it, since she now knew it was so deeply connected to her life, but why did she have to ask Azula to explain it?

"Are all marriages arranged, or can you marry for love too?"

"Honey, I don't think that's an appropriate subject" their mother intervened, trying to hide her discomfort. Ikem wasn't as sucessful, and Zuko was sure he himself wasn't either. Xang looked nervous, while Azula, June and Toph looked amused. Kiyi was still oblivious to exactly what topic she had accidentally brought up.

"Calm down, mother. I know she's a child, I won't go into details" Azula turned to their little sister "Most marriages between nobles are arranged. It's just a big, boring, glorified pact of mutual protection and financial support between two families. Some people get matched the day they are born so their relatives will benefit from the alliance years before the marriage actually happens. _Royal_ engagements are more complicated, because everyone wants to be royalty, so it's a big dispute between all kinds of idiots to prove they are worthy of our attention. And when they do get our consent, they try to make the marriage happen as soon as possible, so no one will have the time to offer something better to us."

"So you _can_ say no, even if you already said yes?"

"Sort of. Going back on your word isn't a good idea unless you have the power to back it up, or a really good reason to do so."

"Like falling in love with someone else?"

_Please, just drop the subject, Kiyi._

Azula was clearly about to answer with a 'no', then stopped herself, thinking it over for a moment "Maybe. For example, if Zuzu wished to be with someone the other nobles didn't approve of..."

"Azula, I think she got it" Zuko tried to intervene.

"No, I didn't."

"See? She didn't" she then went on as if she had not been interrupted "If that were to happen, he could use his power as Fire Lord to force everyone to keep quiet, but that itself wouldn't be enough. He'd have to remind people why they _want_ him to be the Fire Lord and have the power to make all the decisions. If they like him enough, they'll accept whoever he chooses."

The little girl nodded, and an uncomfortable silence took place. Just as everyone had finished eating, and Zuko felt glad he could get out of there, Kiyi asked one more question.

"Are you engaged to anyone, Zuko?" as soon as the words left her mouth, all eyes turned to him. Azula's were the only ones he couldn't read.

_Everyone already knows. I can't tell Kiyi now, but there's no reason to put on an act._

"Not yet. But i already chose a girl" he said, not daring to look at anyone, and hearing the sound of Kiyi jumping off her chair.

"Who is she? A noble-girl? One of your friends? Some girl you met in one of your adventures? A warrior?"

"A princess. That's all I can say for now" he could feel the tension in the room getting worse and worse.

"When can I meet her?"

_You already did._

"Soon" he said, ending the conversation and allowing everyone to leave, then telling the servants to clean up the table.

"Lighten up, Zuzu" Azula told him as they walked through the empty hall together "It was funny."

"I hate you."

She simply laughed, and wrapped her arms around his neck "Somehow, I don't believe that"

Zuko closed his eyes and allowed her to kiss him, ignoring whatever was left of his rational side. He wouldn't need it anymore, at least not when it came to Azula. 


	27. Practice; Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fucking hate writting fight scenes.

"For the last time, Zuko" she was already getting annoyed at him "I'm okay." 

"Azula, come on, no one can push themselves that much and not feel at least a little pain."

"Yeah, _a little_ pain. It's not a big deal" she paused for a moment, then offered him a sly smile as got closer to him "Besides, it wasn't all my fault. My body was recuperating before you ruined it again."

Her brother looked away, but Azula saw as his lips twitched in a proud smirk "The point still stands. It's not fair to fight you if it hurts for you to move."

"I suppose you're right. I shouldn't have worked that hard yesterday... and I wouldn't have done it if I knew just how rough you can be. It caught me off guard honestly, I assumed you were the romantic type. Not that i'm complaining, of course. It was a nice surprise."

"Stop it."

"I'll stop when i get what I want" she said, crossing her arms "Come on, Zuzu. We both know i'm going to convince you to fight me after i wear you down enough. Just save us both the trouble, and you might even have some patience left to deal with all the work you're going to have to do today."

Her brother sighed in defeat "Fine, but promise me you'll tell me if I hurt you."

"Oh, confident are we?"

_Don't be mean to him, honey. He's just taking care of you. Isn't that why you're with him?_

_Mother, not now!_

"I've gotten a lot better. You've seen it for yourself" there wasn't a single hint of self-doubt or arrogance in his voice. He merely treated his noticeable - and impressive - progress as if it was simply a matter of fact. Neither looking down on himself, nor allowing pride to cloud his mind and make him do something stupid.

"I'll admit, I quite like seeing you be both calm and bold. Just not with me" And without another word, she quickly shot three fire balls at him. He avoided them, but was clearly angry she just started the fight without giving him at least a warning.

_If we had decided to train outside, people would probably be wondering if I secretly still want to kill him._

Zuko's response to her attack was a long, extremely powerful jet of fire that threatened to immediately bring her to her knees, not dissimilar to when he had managed to make her collapse on the floor during their Agni Kai. But Azula was prepared for it this time. Before they had reconciled, there had not been a day she didn't relive that fight in her head, trying to understand everything she had done wrong.

In a blink of an eye, she jumped to side, using her left hand to bend, giving her extra impulse. She tried to copy one of the air-bending stances she had seen both the Avatar and Zuko use a few times, and despite being able to move quickly and keep her balance, she wasn't fully satisfied with her performance. She would have to work on that.

Repeatedly, she used two fingers to shoot precise 'blades' of fire at him - it had always felt less like firebending, and more like throwing knives like Mai had taught her to do. This technique was Azula's favorite, since it required less physical effort, while still being just as dangerous, if not more. She used one time, then three more times, then seven times, always changing direction, keeping Zuko where she wanted him to be. He managed to avoid them all, but it was clear he wasn't sure of her next moves.

He threw four fire balls at her, but Azula used her own bending to protect herself from them as she got closer to her brother. She then used a bigger, more powerful blast against him, only to see it turning red as Zuko threw it back to her. She managed to control it as he fired it at her direction, making them blue once more. The flames grew stronger and more unstable as the two siblings made them change from red to blue, them back to red, back and forth, then back again. Preventing both of them from moving, and generating enough heat to compare it to the purest ray of sun.

Finally, Azula used a fire shield to protect herself from it, hearing the sound of a loud explosion as the full force and energy of the flames collided against the barrier she had created. Once she broke her shield, she saw just as her brother managed to control what was left of the fire they had created, preventing it both from hurting him and from setting the room alight.

_He's still strong and aggressive, but he knows how to control it now._

Their eyes met, and they smirked at each other. Azula couldn't recall ever feeling such a different kind of thrill when fighting someone. Training had always been something unbelievably serious, and genuinely going against someone always involved at least a little risk, even if they were not as strong as she was. This felt more than challenging enough to entertain her, and she felt absolutely safe, but it was still dangerous enough to make it feel much more real than a simple game or a friendly competition.

Zuko used an unbelievably fast and hot jet to make her jump to the side again, and moved quickly to attack her as he finally managed to get close to her. Azula blocked his attack with her left arm, but couldn't push him away or take a single step back to create any distance between them.

She turned the momentary disadvantage into an advantage as she used her other arm to try and hit him on his exposed torso, right on the scar she had gave him. She got _so_ close to victory, but her brother managed to grab a hold of her mere seconds before she could strike him and win. She tried to attack with her left hand, but Zuko's right arm blocked it, in the same way someone would avoid being struck by a chi-blocker like Ty Lee.

But Azula was still very much aware of who she was fighting, and she knew her brother, saving herself from being thrown to the floor as Zuko tried to the end the fight with a treacherous kick. His grip on her right arm became tighter, preventing her from escaping, but it became a bit gentler as she wasn't able to completely disguise her pain. 

"Zuzu" she said, using her sweetest tone, and allowing her muscles to relax for a moment, simply enjoying the heat she could feel emanating from her brother. He looked at her, that spark in his eyes still evident, but it was clear he was now more focused on Azula herself than on their fight. She brought her left hand to his shoulder, gently at first, then burying her nails on his hot skin "Don't hold back."

She breathed fire, forcing Zuko to let go of her and pull back. Once again, she tried to strike him, just to be stopped at the last second - this time, however, Zuko didn't waste any more time before trying to kick her, and Azula only had time to grab ahold of his wrists to bring him down with her.

They fell to the floor, and Azula tried to escape, but her brother restrained her, trapping her legs in between his, and taking advantage of her failed attempt to flee so he could grab her wrists and keep her pined to the floor. It didn't take long for her to feel his erection pressed up against her.

She moved her hips, making him groan. As his face got closer to her's, Azula licked his jaw bone, then did the same to his ear lobe. Zuko let go of her and allowed her to switch their positions. She smiled maliciously and she sat on his lap, straddling him "My turn, Zuzu."


	28. Practice; Part Two

Azula kissed him passionately, biting and sucking on her brother's lower lip, tasting him, her tongue playing with his. She could feel Zuko's hands touching and groping her thighs and ass, keeping her pressed up against him. Every little move of her hips made his cock twitch and become even harder, making her body respond as well. 

She broke the kiss, letting her hair down and removing her tank-top. Zuko took the chance to switch their positions, lying on top of her. He rubbed her over her pants, making her moan. Azula ran her hands through his back and arms, feeling his muscles and his hot skin, keeping him close while he kissed, licked, bit, and sucked on her neck. She hoped it would leave marks - she would love to see people's shock and Zuko's cute, embarrassed face after she teased him for it.

Just as she thought of it, one of the guards opened the door the Agni Kai room, freezing in place, eyes wide, and mouth falling open.

Zuko pulled away slightly, and Azula could almost see it as his brain desperately tried to find something to do or say that would make this situation less mortifying (for him at least). Before he could fail at making things even more awkward, the young man who interrupted them seemed to realize what it could mean for his safety that he had just walked in on his Fire Lord and his princess breaking the law.

"Forgive me" he blurted out "My Lord, your highness, _please_ forgive me" he closed the door and ran away.

Azula smiled and pulled Zuko in for a kiss, startling him. He didn't respond the way she wanted, so she switched their positions again, kissing him harder, _demanding_ he focused on her, and stealing his breath. Hesitantly, her brother started touching her again, his hands slowly moving from her waist, to her stomach, and then to her breasts - covered by bindings he didn't seem to be trying to remove.

Disatified, she pulled away.

"Just ignore it, Zuzu" she said as she forced him to look at her "He won't say a thing. And even if he did, it's not like everyone doesn't already know" she gave him a predatory smile "Besides, if you really meant what you said this morning, I'm going to be your wife soon."

He looked at her in surprise "Of course I meant it!"

She smiled and brought her lips to his for a brief moment, far more gently than she had done before. The thought of being his Fire Lady, of him letting everyone know that he only wanted her made her impossibly happy. 

"Then relax" she placed her hand on his bulge, rubbing and teasing "This is our nation. Our palace. We'll do as we please."

Zuko reached out for her, but Azula slapped his hands away. She started removing her pants, and Zuko rushed to do the same, exposing his enormous member, making her smirk. Slowly, she started removing her panties - too slowly for her brother's liking. He pratically ripped them off of her before trying to pine her to ground again, but she managed to stay in control, forcing him to stay down and sitting on his lap. She grabbed his cock, rubbing it's head against her clit for a moment, then slowly inserting it inside of her, making them both moan.

Azula kept her eyes closed as she tried to take as much as she could, gasping and groaning. He was so big...

Her brother grabbed her hips, helping her move just the right way, letting her stop when it hurt, 'till she had taken almost all of him. He then started using one of his hands to tease her clit, making sure she was enjoying herself. 

Once she begun moving at her own pace, not needing his guidance, Zuko unwrapped her binding, exposing her breasts and sucking one of them into his mouth while he groped and massaged the other. He gently bit down on her nipple and Azula buried her nails on his arms.

"Oh, Zuzu..." she grabbed his hair, keeping his head against her chest while she continued to ride him, both sensations driving her mad.

After a few moments, she forced him to pull away from her breasts and brought her face close to his as she felt an urge to kiss him again. Zuko's tongue sparred with her's as his hands went back to groping her ass. Their hips continued moving, and Azula threw her head back, allowing Zuko's eager mouth to explore her neck once more, as she could feel her climax approaching.

Her heart raced, all the air was expelled from her lungs, and her whole body shook and trembled on her brother's arms, but neither of them could stop. She kept riding him furiously, now being able to take his entire length, while Zuko grabbed and pulled her hair. 

Azula kissed and licked his neck, jaw, and cheek, hands roaming through his back, nails marking him. She could feel him moving underneath her, movements becoming impossibly fast and reaching just the right spot. He groaned as she buried her teeth on his shoulder to keep from screaming.

She could no longer move, and Zuko made her lie down, quickly entering her again, looking all too pleased with himself as forced her body to respond with spasms and loud moans that quickly turned to screams as he used her to seek his own pleasure. His violent thrusts became more and more erratic before suddenly stopping as he spilled himself inside of her, panting in her ear.

He pulled out and wiped the sweat off her face, kissing her forehead.

"I wish I had known years ago how good this would be" he said making her chuckle.

"If you had known, you would have never helped your friends end the war."

"I still would have done the right thing. Eventually."

" _Of course"_ she rolled her eyes. 

Zuko got up and picked up his underwear and pants. Seeing her clothes all over the floor didn't really make Azula feel like starting move again, but they still had a lot to do that day - as usual - and she would be mad at herself if she took too long to get to it. Her head was spinning and her legs threatened to give out with every step she took. Her brother helped her get every piece of clothing.

"Are you okay?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm more than okay, Zuzu. And like I said earlier, you're gonna have to keep this up. Everyday."

"Good" he pressed one last kiss to her shoulder, then allowed her to get dressed.

Azula did it as quickly as she could, but still paying attention to every detail. Her hair wasn't as perfect as it had been earlier that morning, but she couldn't be bothered, not that time at least. When she looked back at her brother, she saw he now had a sheepish expression on his face, and the princess immediately understood the problem - that guard that walked in on them wasn't the only one that had been close to the room.

"Do you think there's any chance they didn't hear it?"

"If they're deaf, maybe" she answered as she walked away. 

Zuko sighed and followed her. Azula couldn't help but smile as the guards they walked by looked both sickened by what they overheard, and terrified of meeting her gaze.

_This is going to be a good day._


	29. Anxiety

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It doesn't matter what I want or don't want, Zuko. This is going to happen" Azula replied "Or were you planning on hiding from her until we were married and she could no longer do anything about it?"

_Don't tempt me._

"Of course not, it's just that we don't know how she's going to react. You two just started talking to each other again, I don't want anything to take that away from you."

"It's going to be okay" his sister said, but her confident tone wasn't enough to mask her concerns. Zuko wanted to reasure her, or even delay this conversation with their mother, but there was no way around this. Everyone in the capital had been suspicious for months, and now he had basically confirmed it earlier that day during breakfast. She had spent all day trying to talk to them, but they avoided her - which only made her panic.

"We could wait a little longer. Aang and Katara are probably going to arrive early in the morning, and I'm going to have to tell them too, and th-"

"And then you'll decide to wait until uncle Iroh is here. And then you'll see it will be easier to just tell everyone at the same time, so we'll have to wait until you reunite with all your friends. It will never stop, and it will just make sure they all learn from someone else, _just like mother did."_

_Just once, stop being right._

Zuko sighed in defeat "Fine. But when it comes to telling the rest of my friends, I think I should do it alone. Oh, and when I tell uncle Iroh too."

She actually pouted "That's not fair."

"You'll have plenty of time to use our relationship to get on their nerves. I just want to make sure I won't need to call the guards to help me break up a fight before I even get the chance to explain myself to them."

"I know, I know. It's just that I'm already used to being by your side whenever you make an important announcement."

Zuko smiled "Good, 'cos you're going to spend the rest of your life doing that" he gently cupped her face and gave her a quick kiss " _Fire Lady Azula"_ he said, making her smile. He couldn't calm himself down, but he could at least help his sister remember the good things that would come from this mess they had gotten themselves into.

"I'll admit, sometimes I worried I'd never hear you call me that" she grabbed his hands, keeping them away from her "I won't be there when you tell the others, but don't forget one thing, Zuzu: a Fire Lord doesn't explain himself. To anyone."

"Not even to his sister?" he joked, raising his eyebrow.

"Every rule has an exception. And don't interrupt me" she was dead serious "We're going to be okay eventually, but it's going to take a lot of work to get there. You and I can't let people think there's anything anyone could do that would change our minds or make either of us turn against the other. And convincing our family and your friends to not try to separate us is unbelievably important, since we need people on our side... and since they have such a great influence on you. Specially uncle."

That caught him off guard.

"What happened to the whole 'I should have known you'd choose to be with me' thing?"

"I do know you'll choose me over them. But that doesn't mean it's going to be an easy thing, or that any conflict between us and them wouldn't make our reign unstable."

Zuko should have known Azula would have already realized every single thing that could go wrong, the consequences of it, and what they could do to prevent and/or fix it. She had always been like this - one moment she was the person he liked to spend all of his time with, the next she was the irritating but necessary voice in his head telling him to think things through. He used to loathe that side of her when they were younger, and it only got worse when their father started using it to turn them into rivals. But now she was his greatest ally again, and he would need her on his side more than ever. 

_She's just looking out for me. She might be bossy and harsh, but it's for the best._

"I'll make sure _everyone_ knows it's useless to stand in our way. I'll just be nicer about it to some people."

Azula nodded "I suppose you should start now."

Zuko took a deep breath and told someone to let their mother know she was finally allowed to see them. For a split second, his sister confidence crumbled, only for her to force it not to fail her. He took her hand in his, and they tried to give each all the strength they had.

As they heard the sound of someone rushing to the room, Azula whispered to him - her words both a soothing reassurance of what he had won, and a grim reminder of the sacrifices he might have to make.

"Nothing else matters now, Zuzu. Only us." 


	30. Mother's 'Blessing'

Their mother entered his office, and her accusatory stare only made Zuko hold his sister's hand tighter. She closed the door behind her, and the three of them stayed absolutely silent for a moment that felt both brief and eternal. Just like the night Ursa was banished, this conversation would change their family forever.

"So, should we expect an engagement gift soon, mother?" Of course Azula was the one to break the spell, and chose to do so in the worst way possible. Zuko felt his stomach turning, and his hands and knees were shaking.

Their mother's right eye twitched "You think this is funny? This could ruin you both."

"It won't. I- _we_ know what we're doing. Zuko's friends will be our chance to gain international support, and our victory against the traitors that wanted to free our father will remind our nation that they already have the best Fire Lord they could ever ask for."

_At least one of us believes it._

"Even if this plan works, what makes you think you two being together would be a good thing at all?"

Zuko didn't even give Azula the chance to answer "It is a good thing. Things have never been better for us."

"For now. Our family has always been a tragedy waiting to happen, and it's a miracle we survived it all."

"How would you know? You weren't there half the time" his sister scoffed.

Their mother ignored her cruelty, despite clearly being hurt by it, and kept talking "I know you two are good for each other now, but it doesn't mean it will always be like this. And it _wasn't_ always like this. How do you know this... thing, won't make it all fall apart again? And if you two were to break up, how do you know it won't make you enemies again?"

"It won't happen" he said stubbornly "We'll stay together. I know we will. And we will never hurt each other again."

"You _believe_ that, Zuko. There's no way to be sure."

"Who are you to speak?" Azula's voice was pure poison "You don't know anything about what we have. You might not like it, but this is the way it's supposed to be. We need each other."

"Not like this. You two-"

"Mother" he interrupted "We're _happy_. This is what we want, and we're not hurting anyone. Please try to understand."

"I _did_ try to understand, Zuko. I have been trying to so for a long time."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Ursa fidgeted uncomfortably "You were more devoted to Azula these past two years than anyone has ever been to anything or anyone. Always focusing on what to do to help her, and looking so devastated whenever she seemed to get worse. At first I assumed it was just because of your kind nature, but something about the way you talked about her wasn't normal. You wouldn't calm down when anyone so much as mentioned her name, and you always found a way to bring her up in every conversation."

Zuko's face was burning.

"I know what you feel for your sister is genuine. And I can see she feels the same." 

"And I bet you were so happy to realize it, right mother?" Azula mocked.

"I don't want to hurt either of you. And I'm not foolish enough to believe there's anything I could say to change your minds, but I _have_ to remind you two that this could be a huge mistake."

"It isn't. And our decision is final. We will get married, whether you support us or not. This isn't up for discussion"

She looked at him with pleading eyes, just like she had all the times Zuko had been forced to forbid her from seeing Azula. He had felt extremely guilty, but it didn't make him back down then, and it wouldn't make him do it now.

"And if the plan goes wrong and you lose everything?"

He could sense Azula's fear of how he would answer that question.

"It's a risk I'm more than willing to take."

Tears streamed down their mother's face and it only made him feel worse. Then, suddenly, she walked towards him and Azula, pulling them both in for a hug, startling them.

"I'm not sure I can ever fully accept this. But you two are still my children, and I won't let anyone hurt either of you. Just tell me what I have to do to help you, and I'll do it."

Zuko felt the weight of the world being lifted off his shoulders. Once Ursa pulled away, Zuko wrapped one arm around Azula, and he could feel her shaking "Thank you, mother" he said as he soothed his sister.

_We'll be okay. Our family will be okay._


	31. Bliss

They were supposed to be sleeping, since Aang and Katara would probably get to the palace in a few hours and they'd have a lot of work to do, but neither Zuko nor his sister could relax enough to fall asleep. But for once, it was out of happiness, not concern.

"I can't believe what we just did."

"I can" Azula said before kissing his forehead "And I'm glad we did. One obstacle is already out of our way."

Zuko didn't like the thought of Azula seeing the people he cared about as obstacles, but he let it slide. They deserved to enjoy themselves after all that stress.

He pulled her closer and kissed her, wanting her warmth, her lust, her affection... wanting everything and anything she had to offer. Wanting everything she was, had been, and would be. She broke the kiss after a moment, gasping for air, but Zuko immediately grabbed the back of her nape, forcing Azula to bring her lips back to his, kissing her until he made her moan. 

When he finally let go of her, she was struggling to breathe.

"Sorry. I got a little carried away" he apologized as he sat up, and kissed her shoulder. Her skin was so soft, he couldn't help but want to touch it all the time.

"You can do whatever you want to me" she whispered in his ear "Whenever you want."

That was all he needed. Quickly, he started to undress, and Azula did the same. The sight of her nude body made him forget he had already had her no more than thirteen hours prior. When he had started dating Mai, he had been extremely passionate on the first days, and the same thing happened when he fell in love with Jin.

This was different. While the thrill of a new relationship did play a part on it, the major factor in it was Azula. He had wanted her for so long, yet had denied himself the right to even acknowledge that simple fact. The intensity of what he felt for her had always scared him, but it had also made him feel alive. Hatred, envy, love, passion - it all often became too much for him to stand.

And now here he was. Letting the emotion consume him.

Zuko lied down again and pulled Azula to his lap, wanting to see her and let his hands roam freely through her body. But he didn't let her take over like she had earlier that very day. He kept her where he wanted her, controlling all of her movements, frustrating her need for power while still giving her pleasure. It was far more gentle this time, and there was a kindness in Azula's eyes. 

_This is how it was supposed to be,_ she had told their mother. 

And she was right. They belonged together. It was so clear to him now, and he could barely believe he had ever thought things could be any other way between them. All that pain and resentment they had harbored for so long seemed to matter so little now.

"I love you" he said, without thinking. There was no need to do so.

Azula stopped moving, looking at him with wide eyes. After a second she recomposed herself "I know. I knew it long before you did."

Zuko knew it was true. He also knew it didn't mean she didn't want to hear him say it. So he did. With his words, his kisses, and his touches. With every movement of his hips, with the gasps he let out when Azula touched him, with every time he said her name, and with his embrace once they were satisfied.

"I love you too" his sister finally said, her voice barely above a whisper, before buring her head on the curve of his neck.

"I know. And I'll never doubt it again. Not even for one second" he promised. Nothing would come between them ever again.


	32. Kiyi Meets Appa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes i really struggle to name the chapters. This wasn't one of them.

Azula had to admit, she was proud of Zuko. The previous day had been pretty tiring and they had only gotten a few hours of sleep, but he didn't complain or mope when the morning came. He got up and prepared himself for another long day and another conversation she knew he wanted to avoid, and, to anybody else, he would actually look pretty confident, which was a perfect match for the more formal presentation she had managed to convince him to choose, even though the people he was going to meet were his friends. She had never thought she would even consider such a thing, but the more time passed, the more Azula was sure he had always been meant to be Fire Lord.

And she was sure no else could have ever been his Fire Lady, but she would still need time to adjust to the role.

The first thing she had to change were her clothes. She had on a simple, elegant red robe, that framed her curves enough to show that she was almost a fully grown woman now, but didn't actually reveal any of her body. The soft thin fabric was perfect for such a hot summer day, but still Azula couldn't feel completely comfortable - she had gotten used to wearing armor nearly all the time. She would have to find a way to combine the two.

She still had a top-knot, but had part of her hair down, just like both her father and her mother had always kept their's. Truly that had been a necessary change in more than one way, for as much as she liked her previous look, it had been the same she had favored since she was a child - and just a princess. It made sense that she would have to leave it behind. The only missing was the head-piece that matched that of her future husband, but that would be fixed once they got married.

As Azula looked in the mirror, checking for any details and minor mistakes she could have missed, Zuko wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"You look perfect" he already knew a word as simple as 'beautiful' was never enough for her.

"So do you" Azula said as she looked at their reflection " _My Lord"._

He pulled away "It's a little weird hearing you call me that."

She didn't miss the opportunity "I always knew you prefer it when I call you Zuzu."

Zuko's annoyance was evident on his face "That's not what I meant and you know it."

When she smirked, she saw her brother's expression immediately soften as it would often do whenever she smiled at him. With a simple movement of his hand, he told her to follow him. He opened the door and took her hand as they walked down the hall. _That_ would also be something she would have to get used to. She knew Zuko had done it as a way to show affection, but it was easier for her to go along with it by thinking of it as simple evidence of their union, visible to all.

On their way to welcome their guests, they saw their mother and her husband trying - and failing - to control Kiyi. The child looked more excited than Azula had ever thought any human being could be, which made both of her parents seem completely exhausted.

_I'm sure Zuko and I are at least partially to blame on our mother's case._

"Can I meet the Avatar too?" the little girl asked as soon as she saw them.

"Of course! Aang and Katara were have been wanting to meet you, they just didn't have the time" Zuko said, earning himself a quick hug.

When Kiyi pulled away, she turned to Azula "You look so pretty, Zula!"

"Thank you" she answered, not even bothering to pretend she cared about her little sister's comment and simply exchanging one or two polite words with her mother and step-father - no matter how she felt about them, a princess and future Fire Lady should always be courteous and graceful. Before she had the time to tell Zuko they should go, they heard the announcement that the Avatar had arrived, and went to meet him, walking calmly while Kiyi rushed ahead of everyone.

Apparently, Zuko's friends did not seem as interesting as the giant ball of fur they used to travel around. Azula didn't particularly care for that flying creature, but even she could understand how it was preferable to the Avatar and the waterbender.

"Can i pet him?" 

"Sure you can" the boy answer "I can take you flying on Appa if you want."

_Good luck trying to take your bison back when you leave._

Zuko welcomed his friends with a respectable bow before hugging them, then deemed appropriate to say hello to their pet who seemed to appreciate the attention - he had always liked animals and more often than not, they liked him too.

The creature, as well as it's owner obviously didn't want Azula there, but the princess was pretty sure the airbender and the peasant were uncomfortable for a different reason this time, since they had seen her and Zuko walking in together, and stay close to each other even after Zuko let go of her hand. She knew they weren't the brightest people alive, even they could notice that was not ordinary.

Kiyi, of course, was oblivious to the whole situation and just kept insisting that Azula should say hi to the bison like everyone else had.

"It's just a stupid animal."

The little girl frowned "Pet the bison"

Azula ignored her and turned to Zuko's friends "The chamber you two usualy stay at has been prepared, and we'll give you a little time to unpack and rest from the trip if you deem necessary.

The kid took advantage of her momentary distraction to grab the princess's hand and run it through the animal's fur. Azula fought the urge to yell at her while easily freeing herself from the child's grasp, but gave her an angry glare that made her run and hug Zuko. He reprimanded Azula with a look for scaring her, but she simply went on as if Kiyi had not interrupted her.

"As soon as you two are available, go to the throne room. My brother has some very important news to share."

"Is it about Ozai's supporters?" the waterbender asked.

"No, but it's just as important" Zuko answered awkwardly, making Azula smile. Oh, how she wanted to see him struggle to find the words to tell about their engagement, and the reaction it would cause.

And she _would_ see it. She had promised him she would let him handle this, but she had never said she wouldn't spy on them during the conversation.


	33. Eavesdropping; Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tripple upload. Because i love you guys.

"So" the Avatar was the first to speak up "What's going on?"

From behind the curtain, Azula saw her brother's demeanor changing. Instead of being the powerful Fire Lord, he was now just an ordinary young man, clearly apprehensive of what his friends would think of him. He couldn't even speak and was visibly tense.

"Zuko, are you okay?" the waterbender asked.

"Yes. I swear I'm okay, it's just that..." he hesitated and avoided looking directly at them "There's something I want to tell you guys. About me and Azula" he said, and the princess could hear the embarrassment in his voice, which only made her smile. He sounded almost like a little kid, talking about his first crush.

But clearly, hearing her name only made his friends fear the worst.

"What did she do?" Aang asked.

"It's not like that, calm down."

Azula doubted they would. And truth be told, that was actually good - if anyone had put her through everything she had done to her brother and his friends, she would never be anywhere near that person again. And for all their flaws, these two, and the others, seemed to care about Zuko and want to keep him safe. 

"Well, then there's no need for you to act all weird. Just tell us" Katara said, a small smile appearing on her face, but it didn't look as genuine as her boyfriend's. Though Azula wasn't sure if the boy was truly that unconcerned now, or was simply trying to be encouraging. On the few times she had seen him at council meetings, he would always look pretty optimistic about literally everything.

"Before I tell you, just keep in mind that she changed, and that we're actually happy now, okay?" his words only made his friend's look more nervous, making the princess smirk.

_Put them out of their misery, Zuzu._

"Azula and I are getting married."

'Shocked' wouldn't even begin to describe the expression on their faces, but while the Avatar slowly seemed to calm down a little and look simply confused, his girlfriend quickly went from unbelieving to disgusted, and from disgusted to angry.

"How can you... when did you... _what?"_

Zuko took a deep breath "Katara, i know what you're going to say, but please listen to me"

"Don't waste your time trying to say anything unless you're going to tell me it was just some sick joke."

"It's not a joke" his tone became serious "I am going to marry her. We're just going to make sure our nation is safe first."

"This cannot be happening. You cannot be serious. It's not possible that you can't see just how disturbing this is. She's your sister!"

"You think I forgot that?"

"Apparently you did!"

"Okay, both of you calm down!" the boy tried to intervene, Katara was completely exasperated.

"And it's not even just that! How can you even consider letting her have any kind of power over others after everything she did? How can you think she should rule a nation? How can you not see that she's just manipulating you? _Again_ "

"You don't know what you're talking about, Katara!" Zuko let his temper get the best of him for a brief instant, making the princess jump back as if to avoid being accidentally hit by an attack that never came, while the Avatar immediately got close to his girlfriend, giving Zuko an angry look. Katara herself didn't even flinch.

Azula considered making her presence known, to support her brother, but she knew it would only make things worse.

"She's not manipulating me" Zuko lowered his voice and regained his composure, but somehow still sounded and looked absolutely furious "I don't care if you believe it or not, I know it's true."

"Look, this isn't gonna go anywhere" the Avatar spoke up again "You two need to cool off before we can discuss this."

"There's nothing to discuss"

The waterbender scoffed "On that we agree."

Without another word, she took her boyfriend's hand and they left the throne room. Once the door was closed, Azula came out of her hiding place, making her brother sigh.

"Why am I not surprised you were listening?"

"Because you know me" she embraced him, feeling just how tense he was "Don't worry, they'll come around. Even if I have to force them to."

"You can't force them to accept this."

Azula pulled away "I can and i will if i necessary. Oh, and thank you for defending me" she kissed his cheek " _My Lord_."

Zuko chuckled and pulled her back to him, holding her tight.


	34. Eavesdropping; Part Two

"How can you be okay with this?" Azula heard the waterbender say. Or rather, scream. The princess had used a secret passage that led to the chamber Zuko's friends were staying at, hiding right behind a secret door in one of the room's walls so she could hear what they would say and try to do now that they knew about the incest, but considering how heated the argument was getting, she could have just stayed in her own room and would probably still be able to hear it without a problem.

"I'm not saying I like this situation, I'm just saying we have to try and see it from Zuko's point of view if we're going to talk to him about it."

"What is there to see? Azula found a new way to manipulate him and have power over the Fire Nation, and Zuko is gladly going along with it because he suddenly thinks being in a relationship with his sister is normal."

"Well, maybe it's normal to them" the Avatar said, making the princess wonder if he did have a brain after all.

"Aang, I know you're accepting of 'other people's culture' and all that, but this is something else entirely."

"That's not what I meant. Look, i'm as afraid for him as you are, but freaking out isn't going to help us at all. Obviously there's something about Azula that made Zuko fall in love with her, and go as far as wanting to marry her, and until we find out what it is, we can't know for sure that this relationship is dangerous, or how to save him from it. And we have to remember who we're talking about here. Zuko made mistakes before he joined us, but he still decided for himself to do the right thing when we all assumed he was a lost cause. 

Everything went quiet for a moment.

"You're right" she sound more calm now "I suppose we have to give him some credit."

"And who knows, maybe Azula did change."

_I see why Zuko likes this kid. He is too hopeful for his own good, just like him._

Katara sighed "Fine. But I still don't understand why are you trying so hard to make me give a chance to the girl who killed you."

_That makes two of us._

Azula came out from her hiding place, startling both of them.

"You were spying on us?" the waterbender sounded angry, but not at all surprised.

"This my home. I can do as I please... and so can Zuko" the girl understood the barely hiden meaning in Azula's words, making a disgusted face "I suppose it's only polite I thank you both for giving me and Zuko a chance. And I will admit, in your place I'd never trust me" Azula considered joking about still being able to kill the Avatar just to get on Katara's nerves, but she knew that would only make things even more difficult for her brother, so she bit her tongue.

_You try to pretend you're still as powerful and fearless as ever, but you won't even speak your mind anymore. Zuko should have just let your insanity destroy you. At least you'd have an excuse to for being so pathetic._

"At least you're not going to act like we have any reason to go along with this" Katara said, looking less angry and more focused "How long have you and Zuko been together?"

"Officially? Only a few days. But our behavior the past months has been pretty questionable, to put it mildly" Azula smirked as she saw both of them cringing in disgust and discomfort. It didn't matter that it wasn't completely truth - they were not having sex then, but had become far too attached to each other for it to be just a normal sibling bond, so it didn't really make a difference when it came to 'morality'.

"Why him?" Aang asked.

"Why should it be anyone else? He knows me better than anyone else, and he was by my side when no one else was. And before everything my father did to our family, we were actually pretty close."

"You expect us to believe you really are in love with him?" Katara's tone was serious and calm. Azula couldn't tell if the girl was changing her approach to try and get to her after she had failed with Zuko, or if she was simply being more rational now that the inital shock was over. Either way, the princess didn't like the implication that **she** was the one who needed to prove she was worthy of her brother's love.

"I don't expect anything from either of you, and I don't care if no one else ever understands what we have. We are meant to be together, and I won't let anyone come between us or hurt him. You two can try to stand in our way and be crushed, or you can actually prove to me that Zuko was right when he told me his friends would never let any harm come to him. Your choice."

Azula left the room, hoping her words would be enough to at least make them feel obligated to try and talk it out with her brother. His friendships were important to him, and she wouldn't let him lose anything because of her. Not again.


	35. Loyalty

Zuko felt both panic and relief washing over him as he saw Aang and Katara waiting for him right outside his bedroom. He was trying to be brave, but the thought of losing them - or any of his friends - terrified him.

"Can we talk for a moment?" Aang asked.

"Of course."

The three of them went to Zuko's chamber, and spent a few moments just staring at each other, trying to find the right words to say. Trying to find a way to pretend this whole thing wasn't painfully awkward for them. 

Trying to make it slightly more bearable, Zuko decided to try and make peace with Katara "I'm sorry for snaping at you."

"It's not like I wasn't ready for a fight too. Just forget it" she fidgeted uncomfortably "Look, I know you're not a bad person, and I'm sure that there's gotta be _something_ good about Azula... but I don't think I could pretend I support this even if I wanted to. This is not right, Zuko. I mean, could you seriously tell me you wouldn't be horrified if I suddenly decided I wanted to marry Sokka?"

Aang made a disgusted face, and Zuko felt his stomach turn. Trying to ignore the voice in his head calling him a hypocrite, he defended himself.

"It's not the same, Katara. Nothing about my family has ever been normal, specially when it came to my relationship with my sister" he took a deep breath, trying to get enough courage to be honest with them "I don't even know when I started feeling this way about her. I didn't recognize it for what it was for years, but it was there for as long as I can remember. And I never stopped loving her, not even after I fell in love with Mai and Jin."

"Not even after she tried to kill you?" Aang asked, incredulous.

"No." Zuko said, being met with wide eyes and stunned silence. He sighed "I understand if you guys can't accept it, or even believe it, but Azula and i are good to each other. And she _does_ love me. I know she does." 

Katara looked like she wanted to say something, and Zuko was glad she decided against it. He felt bad and embarrassed by his behavior earlier that day, but he wasn't sure he wouldn't do it again if either of them so much as implied what he and his sister had wasn't real.

"And if Azula were to become a threat again?" Aang asked.

"She won't."

" _If_ she did" he insisted.

Zuko didn't have to think about his answer for even one second. He knew it was not what they wanted to hear, but it was the truth "Then I'd do everything in my power to stop her. I didn't forget everything she did, and I will never let her have the chance to hurt people again. But no matter what she did or tried to do, I wouldn't leave her."

_I can't._

"Even if she decided she no longer wanted you?" Zuko could hear the pity on Katara's voice "You'd stay by her side even if she wanted you gone?"

"Yes."

His friends looked at him with sorrow in their eyes, clearly believing they were watching him voluntarily throw away every good thing he had in life for the sake of someone that would surely destroy him.

_You better get used to that look, Zuzu. You'll see it over and over again, 'till the end of your days,_ he could almost hear Azula say.

"We'll help you keep your nation safe, and we'll always be here to help you with anything you need. Even if we can't fully understand what you're going through" Aang promised, while Katara stayed silent.

"I know you're worried about me" Zuko said "But this isn't the tragedy you think it is. Azula won't hurt me."

"I hope you're right, Zuko. I really do."

His friends huged him, then left him alone in his room, completely absorbed in his thoughts, yet unable to truly comprehend them. He just put on his robe and lied in bed, waiting for his sister to join him and make him believe it would all be worth it in the end, or at least give him enough peace of mind to sleep. Perhaps that made him a fool, but it didn't matter.

Not as long as he had Azula for himself.


	36. Comfort

Zuko woke up feeling his sister holding him tight. Her embrace was desperate, her hands were shaking, and he could see tears streaming down her face. She looked both scared and relieved, as it would often happen after she had a nightmare.

"Bad dream?" he asked, getting only a nod as response "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No" she said, closing her eyes and hiding her face on his neck.

That didn't surprise him. Azula almost never talked about her nightmares, and the few times she did, Zuko was pretty sure his advice had been absolutely useless. The first time his sister told him he understood her better than anyone else, he thought she was being sarcastic.

He tried his best to reassure her, repeating words that now felt almost like a mantra to him. Her dreams could sometimes be almost as disorienting as her hallucinations, so Zuko would usually try to ease her back into reality.

"It wasn't real, Azula. We're safe now. We're in our home. We're together. No one will ever hurt our family again. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Slowly, she calmed down, and after a few moments she regained some composure, no longer crying and looking more aware of her surroundings.

"We should get going" she said, getting up only to be pulled back to bed "Zuzu, come on, we have work to do."

Azula was obviously trying to act tough, but Zuko could see how shaken she had been by whatever happened in that nightmare. There was pain in her eyes, her body was tense, every little move she made gave him the impression that she was preparing to either attack or flee, and her words and tone let him know she was desperately trying to focus on something other than whatever was currently on her mind.

"You're not going anywhere until you feel better."

"I'm fine, I swear" she pushed him away and tried to break free of his grasp.

"Liar."

Azula rolled her eyes "If you say so" she managed to escape for a brief moment, but Zuko grabbed her and threw her on the bed " _Zuzu!"_ he held her wrists against the pillow and used his weight to keep her where she was.

"And aren't you the one who's always telling me we can do whatever we want? We're staying here until you're okay."

"I _am_ okay. You're being ridiculous."

He ignored her protests, kissing and caressing her all over, whispering in her ear... soothing his little sister like she clearly needed him to. Once she stopped fighting, he embraced her, one of his hands running up and down her back while the other played with her hair "It's okay that you don't want to talk about it, but I'm not letting you pretend nothing is bothering you."

"It was just a stupid dream."

"Doesn't mean you can't be upset about it."

She sighed and gave up on her pretense completely, just letting him hold her. They remained silent for a long time, until Azula finally spoke up again "You were hurt" his eyes met her's and her voice became sweeter "I thought I lost you" new tears were forming in her eyes, and Zuko wiped them away before gently embracing her once more. 

"Nothing is gonna happen to me."

"I know. I will make sure of it" before he could even start worrying about what she could have meant, Azula gave him a quick kiss, making his mind go blank "But I still worry about you" she kissed him again, a little longer this time, then rested her head right above his heart. Zuko temporarily pushed his concerns aside took to keep comforting her.

"Nothing will take me away from you" he promised "I'm going to fight to protect what's ours, but my priority is coming back to you. Being by your side, where I belong."

Azula held him so tight it felt like she was trying to fuse her body with his, but he could also almost feel her fear slowly fading away.

"I'll never leave you."


	37. One In The Same

As Azula explained her plan to Zuko's friends, she could feel the weight of his fixated gaze on her. She tried to focus solely on making herself understood and discussing any possible flaws on her strategy, but her brother's silence stood out among the hundreds of questions the princess was trying to answer.

She knew this was probably the worst time for her to force herself back into the center of this conflict, since her nightmare earlier that day had made Zuko paranoid, but if she didn't speak up he and his friends could form a different plan to deal with the traitors, and prevent her from convincing him to let her be by his side, both in battle and in the councils that preceded it. 

"Are you okay, Zuko?" the Avatar asked, and this time, her brother didn't even bother to answer.

"Of course he's not" Toph laughed "We're about to steal his sister."

He didn't lash out or look embarrassed. He just stood there, not moving a single muscle, his eyes never leaving Azula's. She knew he wanted her to change her mind, but she wasn't quite sure if he was begging her to forget this idea or demanding that she did so.

"Look, Zuko" the waterbender placed a hand on his shoulder, and the gesture didn't please Azula at all "I don't like this anymore than you do, but it _is_ our best option right now. If Azula manages to convince Ozai's supporters that she's on their side, she can get some vital information to help us defeat them."

"Plus, if you have a better idea, you should had said so before Azula talked our ears off all morning" Toph complained.

After what felt like an eternity, Zuko finally spoke up "Please leave us alone. I have something to discuss with my sister" his polite yet cold tone made his friends look at him weird, but Azula felt proud. Her brother still wore his heart on his sleeve, but he was learning to mask his emotions a lot better. Once the door close behind him, he took a step towards her "You're not doing this. I won't let you."

"Be reasonable, Zuzu. This is our best chance, and i won't be in any danger. You'll choose the guards that will pose as traitors with me, and your friends will be hidden close by in case we are discovered and need help. I'll take the information I need, then come back to palace."

"And then you'll fight every single traitor you see in front of you."

"I won't push it too far" she didn't bother denying her intention, there was no point in doing so "But I'll defend what's ours just as fiercely as you will."

"And then what, Azula?" she could hear his anger and fear "You'll fall apart like you did before? I'll lose my sister again?"

"It won't happen."

"You don't know that."

"It won't happen" she insisted "Why are _you_ going to fight them yourself, Zuko?"

"It doesn't matter, and I already told you I'll stay here that's what it takes to keep you safe."

"Answer the question."

"It has nothing to do with this!" his refusal made Azula feel even more confident in her point. 

"It has everything to do with this" her hands cupped his face "You'll fight alongside your men because it is both your right and your duty to do so. Because you want to save your people from a threat you would have once been a part of. Because you love your family and you want them to have everything that is rightfully theirs. And because you're too proud and stubborn to let anyone stop you from doing anything you know you _have_ to do."

He took her hands in his, then took a step back, as if physically distancing himself from her would change the fact that at least some part of him knew she was right "You just won't back down, will you?"

Azula shook her head 'no' and got close to her brother again "I'll be by your side where I belong. No matter the risk. We'll make sure the whole world knows nothing can come between us" she embraced him "I'll keep you safe, and I know you'll do the same for me. We'll be fine as long as we're together, Zuzu."

Zuko pulled away and made her look at him "How can you be so sure?" he asked, leaning down to press his forehead against her while his thumb caressed her cheek.

"Because you proved it to me. Every single day for the past two years."

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. Azula allowed herself to enjoy that moment of peace, closing her eyes. But it didn't last long.

_You're hurting him. And if you're wrong, he'll never forgive himself for putting you in harm's way._

It was the truth, but it didn't change anything. This wasn't going to be easy, but it was another step towards the life she would build with him. 

"We have to do this, Zuzu. For us." 


	38. Unfocused

Azula was alone in the Agni Kai room, and had warned the guards not to disturb her. She needed to stay away from everyone else for a moment. She needed to think about her plan again, making sure she wasn't forgetting any detail that might put her brother in danger. But above all else, she just needed to breathe.

Zuko's sorrow at her determination to go back to battle had affected her much more than she wanted to admit. And so had her nightmare. 

Many times before, the princess had seen that exact scene playing out in her head. The palace being attacked and going up in flames, warriors from both sides screaming and attacking each other with all their power. The details were always hazy, but it all felt so real she could almost feel the heat surrounding and consuming her. The one thing that was perfectly clear was the vision Azula wished she could forget: Her brother lying on the ground, mortally wounded. Sometimes the killer was their father or one of the men who had supported him, other times it was a complete stranger, but the result was always the same.

"I won't let it happen" Azula promised herself.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep herself as calm as possible before she started firebending. She was so used to doing it that she barely had to think before making any move, and the exercise helped her forget the turmoil. Her blue flames went from small and graceful to immense and powerful. The sight was almost hypnotic to her.

But it wouldn't be enough to allow her to distract herself from the ache in her heart. Zuko had looked so defeated by her refusal to let go of her old habits. But he had to remember who she was - she had been raised to be a warrior, a conqueror, a bender that was far greater and much more dangerous than all others. She couldn't just turn away from a threat to her nation, to her family, to the man she loved.

_You're hurting him,_ the words echoed in her mind again, _you're being selfish, and your brother will pay the price._

She was failing him. She would be his downfall.

No. She couldn't think like that. She _had_ to do this - she had just convinced Zuko of it too. She had to by his side in battle. She had to protect him. 

_You're hurting him._

"I don't have a choice" Azula snapped, and immediately reprimanded herself. She shouldn't be paying attention to these voices, let alone arguing with them.

As it always did, her father's voice mocked her at the worst possible moment.

_You're just the warrior you brother deserves to have by his side. A demented fool who will get herself killed by a real enemy because she was distracted fighting a imaginary one. If Zuko's lucky, he'll die before he gets to see you humiliating yourself._

Azula fought the urge to cover her ears with her hands. He wasn't there, he wasn't real, he didn't know what he was talking about. After this was all over, she would make sure no one even remembered his name. He wasn't important, and neither were all the voices she had heard a million times. She wouldn't let anything distract her from the only thing that mattered: her brother.

It wouldn't be easy, but nothing in their lives had ever been. And as usual, sacrifices would have to be made. Their mother had put her life on the line when she killed Azulon to protect Zuko. Their uncle left behind everything he had in life to join Zuko in exile, and managed to save him from Ozai. His subjects, his friends, and his allies were now preparing to go to war once again just to protect him. Azula had turned her back on him time after time, choosing to waste her life fighting for the wrong Fire Lord, and this was her chance to make things right.

_I don't have the right to turn my back on him now._


	39. Tension

Zuko watched as his sister dressed up for dinner after training on her own for a while. Azula looked more confident now, but he could tell there was something bothering her. Whenever Azula wasn't okay, she seemed to disconnect from the world around her, and her every action looked automatic, like she wasn't even fully aware of what she was doing. And that was how she looked at the moment - eyes distant, slower movements, and her mind clearly somewhere else.

He had realized something was off about her all day, despite her trying to act like nothing was wrong. Unfortunately, Zuko had seen her having more than enough bad days to let him know just how to recognize the signs. Whenever he tried to get her to take a break and talk to him or to her doctors, Azula would dismiss him and just continue explain her plans to him and his friends. She had made sure to sneak off to the Agni Kai room when he was busy with something else, so he wouldn't even be able to _try_ to make her talk about what was bothering her.

Once she was ready, Azula turned to him "We can go now."

"Not yet" he walked up to her and she raised an eyebrow "Why are you so concerned?"

"I'm not concerned."

Her tone would have been enough to fool him years ago, but he had spent more than enough time by her side now to see the emotions she tried to hide. He couldn't read her as well she could always read him yet, but he would get there.

"Something is bothering you. Is it about your plan?"

"No. I'm just not feeling all that well today."

"Is it about your nightmare?"

"No" she seemed angry that he brought it up "I know you're going to be okay, because i won't let anything happen to you. Is just that this whole situation is stressful. You of all people should understand that."

"I do. But I know that's not the whole story. What aren't you telling me?"

"There's nothing to say, Zuko. You're blowing things out of proportion, _as usual._ "

Azula started walking away, but he stopped her, grabbing her waist and pulling her close to him, embracing her from behind "I'm just worried" he controlled his anger and frustration to try and sound as kind as possible. He didn't want to fight.

His sister sighed, brought her hands to his, and leaned back against him "I know. And I know that it must be difficult to accept that I'm taking such a big risk to my health, but I have to do this" she turned to face him "We'll keep each other safe."

"We can't protect each other from everything" he reminded her.

"It will be okay" she pressed a quick kiss to his lips "We've gone through much worse and survived. Anyone who makes the mistake of trying to harm or separate us will be dealt with."

Zuko didn't like the way she said that, especially because he wasn't sure what she would do to people who opposed their relationship, but Azula didn't give him a chance to ask her, she simply took his hand and gently guided him through the hall. The conversation was over.

For that moment at least. He would make her talk soon enough. He wouldn't let her ignore her feelings just to pretend she no longer needed help - and she would get that help whether she wanted it or not, Zuko would make sure of it.

But first they had a family dinner to go to. 


	40. Answers

"Can somebody please tell me what's going on?" Kiyi asked one more time.

"There's nothing to say, honey" their mother said "Now eat your food."

"I know something happened!" she insisted "Everyone has been acting weird for days, but no one will tell me why!"

"Eat your food" Ikem's tone was a bit sterner than Ursa's, and this time, Kiyi did as she was told, looking unhappy.

A long silence took over, making them all uncomfortable. Or rather, making _most_ of them uncomfortable. When Zuko looked at Azula, he saw that devilish gleam in her eyes, one that he knew too well, that let him know she was far too amused by the situation to just let it go. He grabbed her hand underneath the table and quietly begged her to leave it alone, like he often did when they were kids.

As usual, it didn't work.

"She's going to find out sooner or later" her words made Kiyi instantly lift her head and stare at her with excitement in her eyes. 

"Azula, please don't do this" their mother pleaded, sounding tired. Her husband on the other hand, just looked scared - he still didn't seem to be completely sure he was safe around Azula and would often keep his thoughts to himself when she was in the room.

"We were going to tell her eventually anyway, so why not do it now? It's not like any of you will manage to make her drop the subject. And it's only a matter of time before some servant or guard let's it slip in front of her" Azula's tone was playful, yet still a little cruel.

_Why are you doing this? You were trying to get along with our mother just a few days ago. Why are you antagonizing her now?_

Ursa just sighed in defeat "I can't believe this."

"Tell me! Please, Zuzu!"

"Kiyi..." Azula turned to her, lifting an eyebrow.

"Please, Zuko" their little sister corrected herself.

Everyone at the table turned to him, making him nervous. He had gotten used to giving big speeches in front of his nation, giving orders to the guards and servants, and even to being a figure of authory in council meetings, but being the one with the most power in his family still felt weird to him.

"Azula and I are getting married."

Kiyi seemed confused "I thought siblings weren't supposed to marry each other."

"They weren't" Azula explained "Because a Fire Lord said so. But now Zuzu is the Fire Lord, and he says it's okay, so it is okay."

She made a disgusted face "Does that mean that if mom has another son I'm gonna have to marry him?"

"No!" Zuko, Ursa and Ikem all answered at the same time, startling Kiyi and making Azula laugh.

"You could if you wanted to, but you wouldn't _have to_."

Their little sister nodded and eventually went back to eating her food, not even seeming to realize she had, lost in her thoughts like she would often be whenever someone explained 'adult things' to her. No one said another word until the meal was over.

"It's getting late" Ikem broke the silence as he got up from his seat "You should get ready to go to bed, sweety."

"Okay" she gave Azula a quick kiss on the cheek "Thanks for helping me, Zula."

Zuko didn't hide his smile as he saw just how stunned his sister was by Kiyi's action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't try to hide things from children. It's fucking impossible.


	41. Distraction

"You'll talk to Chise and Mayu first thing in the morning" her brother told her, his stern voice letting her know it wasn't a request.

"For the billionth time, Zuzu, there's nothing to say. I'm fine."

"I know you're lying, and if you're not going to let me help you, then at least allow your doctors do it. It's their job, after all."

"You're just going to ask them what happened anyway" Azula scoffed.

"I swear I won't" he brought his hands to her shoulders "There's something bothering you, i can tell. It's okay if you don't want to talk to me about it, but you need to tell _someone_. You can't let it consume you." 

_He's right and you know it. Ignore your pride for once._

Azula sighed in defeat "Fine, I'll talk to them" the princess watched as her brother's face softened, despite the visible stress he was still under. Gently, Azula guided him to their bed and set right behind him and started massaging his shoulders, neck, and back - that always helped him sleep better after a long day of hard work.

This time, however, she allowed herself to slowly do a little more than just that. 

Once there was less tension on his muscles, she pressed a few quick kisses to the back of his neck, then softly traced his spine with her finger tips, causing him to shiver. She embraced him from behind, pressing up against him as she let her hands explore the front of his naked torso. She could feel his heartbeat accelerating.

"I'll help you relax, My Lord" Azula whispered in her brother's ear before gently nipping at his lobe. In response, Zuko's hands reached for her thighs. 

The princess continued her exploration, moving lower until she could feel his quickly hardening cock twitching in her hands. When she heard him moan, she stopped and moved in the bed to face him.

Zuko drew her face in for a kiss, his tongue sparring with her own. Azula made him lie back and pulled away just a little bit, pressing her lips against his jaw, then his neck, and chest, taking her time to move lower and lower with each kiss until she removed his shorts and took his member in her hands, teasing the head with her tongue, then licking his entire length a few times, getting it slick.

The princess smirked as her brother brought his hand to her hair, stroking it gently. She heard him groan when she happily started sucking him off, engulfing his cockhead before slowly working more and more of him into her mouth. Despite her inexperience, Azula was managing to give him pleasure. Zuko was a good brother and helped her out, letting her stop to breathe every now and again and moving her head up and down, guiding her, showing her how she should do it.

She had not taken him all the way, and didn't know if she could, but kept on trying, struggling with her gag reflex. Luckly for her, it seemed like she wouldn't have to.

"Azula... Azula, I'm gonna..." 

Her brother's thrust became erratic and he spilled himself inside her eager mouth. Despite the strong taste, she did actually enjoy it, swallowing every single drop he had to offer her. She watched with delight as he took a few moments to recuperate and control his breathing.

Suddenly, Zuko pulled her close, making her sit on his lap and removing her shirt. He immediately leaned down, sucking, licking and biting on her breasts while his hands groped, massaged and slapped her thighs and ass. Azula ran her nails through his back, marking him, then brought her hands to his hair. Zuko responded by making his touch even more forceful, making her lust for him burn hotter.

He licked her neck and captured her earlobe with his teeth "Sit on my face" his low tone made her melt.

Blushing, Azula pulled away to remove her shorts and panties while her brother lied back on the bed. She held onto the headboard, putting one leg on each side of her brother's head. He instantly gave her wet pussy a long, slow lick, causing her to moan.

Zuko grabbed her ass, bringing her lower on his mouth, sucking on her lips, then repeatedly licking her cunt, groaning against it. The princess had her eyes closed and started moving her hips, one of her hands going to his hair as she started riding him, rubbing her pussy against his face.

Azula gasped as she felt him gently nipping at her clit, then flicking it with his tongue over and over, eating her out like a starved man. Her loud moans echoed through the room as Zuko inserted his tongue into her clenching hole, swirling it inside of her while his right hand smacked her ass a few times. 

As she got closer to orgasm, Zuko grabbed her hips with enough force to bruise them and sucked her clit into his mouth, making her scream in delight. She stopped moving entirely when she reached her peak, panting for air as her brother continued to devour her, drinking her dry.

She moved away, lying next to him on their bed and was almost immediately surprised by the feeling of spreading her legs, positioning himself in between them and capturing her lips for a passionate kiss.

"Ready?" he asked, his cock pressing against her entrance.

She smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, moaning alongside him as he penetrated her. Azula wrapped her legs around him, taking him deeper inside.

It was going to be a long night.


	42. Pride

"This is stupid" was the first thing Azula said to her doctors "I should be helping Zuko organize things. I'll leave in a few days."

"With all due respect your highness, if your brother insisted on having you talk to us, there must a good reason for it. After all, it's not like him to let us talk to you alone" Chise said in her usual blunt way.

"Chise, you're talking about your Fire Lord. Be more respectful" Mayu adverted before Azula could, and using much, much kinder words than she would have.

But the woman wasn't wrong. The princess and her brother had been pretty much joined at the hip the past months, and even before that Zuko would constantly be present when her doctors talked to her. Now that she actually wanted him around, they were always together - even though that clearly wasn't what her doctors wanted.

"I understand that you'll convince the traitors you're one their side, but you'll make them keep that a secret" Chise went on as if she had not been reprimanded at all "Why is that?"

"Zuko needs to show he's in control. That'll be harder for people to believe if they think he was manipulated by someone who's supposedly on our father's side"

"Then why do this at all?"

Azula was surprised at that question. It should have been obvious for someone as smart as Chise, especially since she had been her doctor for two years "Were you expecting me to just stay here and do nothing?"

"I expected you to take action, yes, but i thought you'd do so by your brother's side. I can understand why you'd want to join him in battle, but why are you choosing to distance yourself from him, even if just for a shot amount of time?"

"I didn't choose to, I have to" the princess replied, not liking where this was going.

"It was _your_ plan. Even if you believe that this is the best option, I assumed you'd go with the second best to stay with your brother. You're not with him right now, and you're clearly unhappy about it. Why are you trying to get away from him?"

"I'm not" Azula stood up, looking down on the woman "But I am tired of your insubordination."

"Your highness" Mayu finally spoke up again "It's not unusual for two people in a relationship as... _intense_ as the one you have with the Fire Lord to feel the need to take a step back to try and see things objectively. Your brother did try to do it before giving in to it, and it didn't make him love you any less. We just think that maybe we could help you deal with whatever is pushing you to do this, so you'll stay with him."

_They want us to stay together?_

That didn't make any sense. Those two had stopped trying to get in their way, but Azula knew they wished for her and Zuko to split up and have a normal sibling relationship. Why were they trying to desperately to convince her to be by his side all the time when they had always told Zuko that this could be dangerous for both of them?

Azula could only think of one explanation.

"You're afraid I'll betray him" her tone was cold, but she had never felt that much rage "You think being away from Zuko and being surrounded by my father's supporters could make me decide I really _do_ want Ozai to be the Fire Lord." 

"Don't ever say something like that" the emotion on Chise's voice caught Azula off guard and was the only reason she did not snap at the woman, not only for what she thought she had implied but for giving orders to her princess. The woman was always calm and collected, and seeing her like that was jarring "Your highness, we know you truly have changed. We know how much you love your brother, even though we fear what it could mean for the two of you and for our nation. We know you won't betray him. But that doesn't change the fact that this could end up hurting you."

Mayu looked at her with pleading eyes "Your highness, you've made so much progress, but you're pushing yourself too far. Something like this is far too dangerous for someone in your condition. You need to be around people you trust and love, not going back to your old ways, lying, manipulating and constantly waiting for the next battle. _Please_ reconsider. If not for your own sake, then for your brother's. Seeing you at war with your own mind nearly destroyed him."

Some part of her felt touched by how much they seemed to care about her and, most important of all, about Zuko. And she couldn't deny she was afraid of what this would do to her. But she was still their princess, and it was just so easy to ignore it all and focus solely on the fact that almost no one could ever tell her what to do. She had grown fond of them, but they simply weren't her equals, and never would be.

Azula would not be locked inside the palace anymore. She wouldn't let anyone else do what she knew she could better. She had to take charge. Perhaps it was a terrible mistake, but she just could not and would not rest until she had dealt with those traitors herself.

She wasn't doing it for Zuko, but for herself.


	43. Sibling Bonding

Zuko smiled the second he saw Kiyi opening the door to his office. He and Azula had been working and arguing all day, and they both needed someone to take their minds away from all the stress, even if just for a little while, and even if Azula herself would not admit that she liked their little sister's company as well.

"What are you two doing?" she asked with that curious tone Zuko had gotten used to hearing.

"Working" he and Azula answered at the same time, though his sister sounded annoyed.

The little girl nodded and walked in, closing the door behind and taking a seat next to Azula, staring at her older sister with those huge eyes "Why are you two always locked up in here? Why can't other people know what you two are talking about?"

"Kiyi, that's not a subject for children."

She frowned "But you always explain adult things to me, Lala! Like what's it like to be a princess or about your wedding to Zuko! Why is this different?"

_Because it's inconvenient for her this time,_ Zuko thought to himself, chuckling. _Shouldn't have spoiled her, Zula._

Azula sighed and turned to her "Look, Zuzu and i discuss things with each other first because a Fire Lord should always be seen as clever and confident by his subjects, so it's best if the council doesn't question his decisions. And since those decisions have to be smart, he needs a trusted advisor to help him organize his ideas before he shares it with others. Got it?" she said in a bored tone, and Kiyi simply nodded after paying attention to her every word.

Zuko didn't think Azula realized just how much it meant to their little sister that she would answer her questions, especially in her usual blunt way instead of talking down to her (though she could be too blunt at times). 

"You really should leave now, Kiyi. Zuzu and i still have work to do."

"But it's almost time for dinner! Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, it can't" he said "I promise we'll try to make it to dinner, but there's something really important we have to take care of as soon as possible. Sorry."

She looked a bit disappointed, then just walked away, making him feel guilty.

"Don't be so dramatic, Zuzu. She'll have plenty of opportunities to annoy us."

"Don't be mean. She just wants a little attention" he offered her a teasing smile "And besides, we both know you like her."

Azula scoffed " _You_ like the kid. I _tolerate_ her for your sake."

"And that's why you looked so happy when you noticed she was watching you practice your firebending and trying to copy all of your movements? I have to say, it was one of the most adorable things I've ever seen." 

She blushed "I didn't care about her, I was just proud of myself."

"Yeah, you were proud because you realized your little sister looks up to you"

Azula simply rolled her eyes "If you say so."

Zuko just shook his head "Do you have to be so difficult all the time?"

"Yes"

He simply reached for her hand "Caring about other's is not a weakness."

He expected her to dismiss him or say he was starting to sound like her doctors, but for once she just quietly went back to what she was doing.

_It's okay to care about your little sister._


	44. Trust

Zuko's friends listened to him closely, paying attention to his every word. Despite being part of the group for two years now, he still wasn't used to that - being listened to. For so much of his life he had either been ignored or mocked, and even his uncle was always the one who actually knew what he was doing, not Zuko himself. And now all he had to do was speak or sign a piece of paper and an entire nation would do as he said. It felt surreal, but he did his best to never let it show anymore, not even to his friends. As Fire Lord, he had to appear fully confident.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't acknowledge possible threats to him, to his people, or to the ones he loved. He had already decided how he would split the army - which soldiers would to which city, which ones would stay at the palace to defend him and his family if they were to be attacked, and which ones would join Azula on her plan to 'free' the insurgent benders they had imprisoned, join them, and them lure their allies to a trap. Aang, Katara and Toph would be following Azula around, both protecting her and making sure she wouldn't hurt anyone. But that wasn't all he would ask of them. His sister needed someone to that would listen to her, soothe her, and help her with anything she struggled with.

"You want us to babysit your insane sister?" Toph asked.

"I want you to try to get along with her"

"You want us to be Azula's friends?" Aang sounded incredulous.

"Look, i worry about her. I wish i could go with her on this mission, but i just can't. And since I won't be able to help her, I want there to be someone who can be there for her while we're separated, and there's nobody I trust more than you guys."

"Oh, Azula will open up to us and be our best friend" Katara mocked.

"Maybe we could take her on a vacation to Ba Sing Se and show her that spa we went to a few times"

"Excellent idea, Toph!"

"Will you two quit being difficult?"

"Zuko, they have a point" Aang tried to rationalize with him "Azula knows we would never do anything against you, but that doesn't mean she believes we have her best interest in mind as well. How can we help someone who doesn't trust us at all? How can _anyone_ help her if she doesn't trust anyone but you?

"I'm not the only one she trusts, there's her doctors too."

"And it only took them, what? A year and a half? We only have two weeks to win her over. After fighting against her on a war. After i helped you defeat her and chained her up."

Zuko felt tense the second Katara brought up that event. He would never forget those horrible moments both during and after his Agni Kai with Azula, no matter how much he wanted to. Yet he knew they had been incredibly lucky - both his sister and his friend had survived, and both we're still in his life. But that didn't mean he would ever make them truly get along.

"Please try. For me"

_And for her. She's still a human being and she needs help._

He did not say it out loud. He was already pushing it by having this conversation, and he knew Azula couldn't stand being seen as weak (even though he personally did not see this as a weakness). She still avoided showing her softer side to anyone but him, and as much as he liked it, he had to think of what was best for her. Even if it meant making her _really_ mad at him.

Aang sighed "We'll try. But keep in mind that this probably go the way you're expecting it to.

"Thank you" it felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders. His friends would take care of his sister.

Now he only had to make sure she wouldn't kill him for it.


	45. Bellow The Surface

"So, your friends will babysit me?" his sister asked in a much less offended tone than he had expected.

"They'll just be there to support you in case you need it."

"Oh, you definitively didn't instruct them on when they should bother me, right?" Azula said, rolling her eyes "I get to decide when I get treated like a child?"

Something about her tone was off. He had expected her to be unhappy about his decision, but he could see that behind that cool, sarcastic way his sister was presenting herself at the moment, she was absolutely _furious._

"If I let it up to you, you'd never ask anyone's help but mine"

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"And they won't treat you like a child" he ignored her interruption "They'll be there to make sure you're okay. And your doctors agree that it would be safer if you had people you can count on by your side."

"And I can count on your friends?" she raised an eye-brow "The same friends who always look uncomfortable whenever we bring up our relationship?" she couldn't keep up the calm tone she had been using before.

"But they're not trying to separate us" Zuko defended them despite himself, and despite knowing full well that Azula wouldn't like him siding with them instead of her "And that isn't relevant now. Not supporting our relationship doesn't mean they wouldn't help you."

_Why is she bringing this up? She had stopped seeing them as a threat to us._

"But they wouldn't do it if you had not begged them."

"I didn't beg. And stop changing the subject and finding excuses to be mad. I'm just making sure you'll be safe."

Azula sighed "Fine"

"Fine?" that caught him off guard.

"You want me to keep arguing with you?"

Of course he didn't, but he had expected her to. Ever since they found out about the insurgent firebenders, nearly every conversation even remotely related to the topic turned into a long argument between them, and it was exhausting. But he knew very well that Azula wouldn't let go so easily unless there was something else that she wanted to go exactly her way. He had assumed she'd want to have full control of this whole operation, since it had been her idea, but she had apparently found something she deemed more important. 

As if on a cue, she took a letter that was on his desk and handed it to him.

"It arrived while you were talking to your friends"

Zuko immediately recognized the handwriting and knew what it was about. All the nobles had sworn their loyalty to him again during this whole ordeal, but very few were truly helping him keep things in order. And it always came at a price: getting the Fire Lord's protection. Some of his most important allies were now in the palace, the most difficult place to invade, let alone take over. That was exactly what Ukano was asking of him now, and Zuko had been expecting him to do so at any moment.

But he had not expected him to spend most of the letter promising that he could convince Mai to come as well if Zuko had any desire to see her again. That he knew that, despite how abruptly Zuko's relationship with her had ended, she still cared about him. It was pretty clear that Ukano wasn't just trying to protect his family, but was actively testing the waters to see if there was still any chance of Mai becoming Fire Lady someday.

There wasn't any. But that didn't mean Zuko did not feel sick imagining his sister reading that. His letter didn't mention it, but the man had probably heard the rumors about Zuko's relationship with Azula. Regardless of whether he had believed them or not, he had still made a bold move. A bold, stupid, suicidal move. 

"I won't let them stay in the palace" he promised Azula. There was really nothing to discuss about that. Ukano had, accidentally or not, insulted the Fire Lord's future wife _and_ the princess. He also could have made the unfortunate mistake of not only angering Azula, but not even realizing he had done so. The palace was now the most dangerous place in the whole world for that poor man.

"And what about Mai?" his sister asked, her tone remind Zuko to choose his words very carefully "You once told me you want to see her again"

"I wanted to _end things between us_ the right way. We were fighting much more than we ever did when we finally broke up for the last time, and there are somethings I want to apologize for. That's it. I have no desire of having to see her every day"

_And I doubt she would let her parents not only tell her what to do and treat her like she's helpless, but also try to throw her at her ex-boyfriend._

Azula took a step forward and took the letter from his hand, burning it.

"As soon as we announce to everyone that we're getting married I want that man on his knees, swearing loyalty to us. _To me._ "

She walked away, leaving him alone at his office.


	46. Reassurence

Azula didn't open her eyes when she heard Zuko entering their room and changing from his clothes into his sleeping robe. She didn't move when she felt her brother lying down next to her or when he wrapped his arms around her

"I know you're awake" he said, repeatedly kissing her neck.

Azula didn't move a muscle and stayed completely silent.

"I'm not the one you should be mad at"

"I'm not mad at you" she finally spoke up.

"Look at me, then"

She sighed and turned around to face him "Happy now?" 

Why couldn't he just leave her in peace? She didn't want to think about that stupid letter, or about how many rich, noble men would be desperately trying to separate them to get a little power for themselves by marrying their daughters to Zuko. She didn't want to get truly angry - whenever she did, it became harder to control her impulses, and the voices would just scream at her, over and over, all at the same time. Azula had not felt something that intense since the day she had finally saw her mother again after so many years. She didn't want to lose control again.

And she didn't want to think, even for one second, that she could actually lose him.

_But you will. It's only a matter of time. You'll lose him. You'll lose it all._

"Just tell me what i can do to fix this."

"Zuko, I really don't want to talk about it."

He pulled her close, embracing her, entangling his legs in between her's "I don't want to be with Mai or any other girl, Azula. I want you. Ukano is an idiot trying to gain the Fire Lord's favor. That kind of thing never bothered you before, this shouldn't be any different."

"It _is_ different, Zuko" she said, pulling away, freeing herself from his embrace "You did love her once. Her and that Earth Kingdom peasant. And now you're the most powerful man in our nation, and literally everyone woman wants to be with you. How do I know you won't decide it's easier to just choose one of them to be your wife?"

"I won't" he promised."

"You'd be a fool if you didn't" Azula blurted out at the same time one of the voices in her head said it to her, regretting the words the second they came out of her mouth. Her brother looked at her in shock. She desperately wanted to find a way to pretend she had not meant that, but all rational thought escaped her as she could feel that overwhelming fear taking over her.

_You don't belong here._

_He'll leave you. They always do._

_You don't deserve to be with him._

Just as she started to tear up, he pulled her close, holding her tight, gently stroking her hair and soothing her as she rested her head right above his heart.

"She protected you. She went against the crowned princess for you. I lied to you. I hurt you. I nearly killed you and your friends. Why are you going through all this trouble for me? Why aren't you with someone else? _Anyone_ else?" Azula was shaking and sobbing as she spoke, her hands griping tightly at his robe.

"I love _you_ , Azula. In spite of every mistake we _both_ made, every hardship we went through, and all the pain we endured..." he paused, looking for the right words to say "I love you in spite of it all and even _because_ of it."

She pulled away to look at him, blinking, trying to understand what he had just said.

Zuko wiped away her tears, gently caressing her cheeks "I know you can't see it, but you're getting better every day. You went against everything you were taught, and you're truly trying to be a good person. I know how hard that is, and I am so proud of you. And I'm grateful for everything you've been doing for me. For not trying to separate me from my friends, for giving Kiyi a chance, for working with your doctors, for talking things out with our mother, for trying to teach me to act like a Fire Lord should... and I might not want to send you to battle again, but i am grateful for your willingness to protect me and fight for the nation we're building and will rule together."

He made her lie down and got on top of her, kissing her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her jaw, her neck... looking at her with those loving eyes, caressing her cheeks and stroking her hair.

"I might wish we had not suffered the way we did, and that our family wasn't so messed up, but that doesn't mean I'd want any other girl by my side. You're my sister. You're the girl i've been in love with my whole life, and you're the only one who understands what it was like to grow up with a family like ours" he pressed a quick kiss to her lips "I wouldn't trade what we have for anything else."

Azula brought her hands to his face, cupping his cheeks as her brother leaned down for another kiss. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to toy with her's. She could feel her whole body getting warmer as he touched her everywhere, slowly opening her robe to expose her while they made out - involving her neck, groping her breasts, grabbing her hips, and parting her thighs. She moaned against his lips as his fingers traced her labia and teased her clit.

Zuko broke the kiss to look at her, paying close attention to her reaction as he penetrated her with three of his fingers, hooking them inside of her, causing her to close her eyes and moan loudly. 

"Oh, Zuzu..."

She moaned again whe he brought his lips to one of her breasts, licking and sucking the nipple, then slowly taking more of her breast into his eager mouth whole his right hand continued to tease her. It didn't take more than a few minutes for her brother to make her come... and for him to cover the pale skin of her neck, collarbone and breasts with hickeys and bite marks.

"That is a perfect look for you, dear sister" he said, smiling at her maliciously as he started to undress. Azula did the same, throwing her robe to the side.

She let her eyes roam, taking in and admiring his muscular form as if she was seing it for the first time, then fixated on the scar she had left right above his heart two years prior. For once she was happy it was there. A permanent, physical reminder that he belonged to her.

Azula pulled him back to her and Zuko placed himself in between her legs, moaning in her ear as he entered her. She wrapped her legs around him, wanting to get him as deep as possible.

"Fuck me, Zuzu. As hard as you can" 

Her brother groaned, giving it to her hard and fast, and Azula bit down on his shoulder to keep from screaming. Zuko's cry of both pleasure and pain made her do it again.

She cruely buried her nails on his back and continued to suck and bite at his shoulder neck, the marks she was leaving on him as impossible to miss as the ones he left on her and as the scar on his chest.

Her body started to convulce and she screamed impossibly loud as her brother hit just the right spot over and over, bringing her to an intense orgasm. Mere instants later she felt Zuko spilling himself inside of her, hearing his quiet attempt to control his breathing.

Neither of them moved at all, simply enjoying each other's warmth and feeling it as their hearts started beating in unison. Zuko's kind voice was the last thing Azula heard before falling asleep.

"I'm yours, Azula"


	47. Awkward

Azula sat down next to her brother at breakfast, smirking at Katara and Aang's obvious discomfort. Zuko's clothes covered the hickeys, bruises and bite marks on his neck, but Azula was wearing her's proudly. If she was going to be forced into spending time with them even before they officially became her babysitters, then she would at least have some fun making them uncomfortable.

"What is going on?" Toph asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing" the Avatar said in his usual cheery tone, but the nervousness in his voice was as clear as day. He was trying desperately to ignore the obvious tension at the table, and wouldn't look anyone in the eye.

His girlfriend took a more direct approach.

"Azula is showing off her the marks on her neck" Katara sounded annoyed.

Toph laughed "Maybe she'll ask you to heal it later."

"My neck is fine. Zuko's however..."

"Azula!"

"His back might need some healing too"

"AZULA!"

"You two are disgusting" the waterbender said, pushing her plate away "I'm not hungry anymore."

"At least you didn't have to hear her scream" the earthbender said bluntly, making Azula blush and smile.

"You heard that?" Zuko looked and sounded mortified.

"My hearing is as good as ever, I'm staying in a room close to yours, and your sister is _very_ loud. Of course I've heard it" after that, Toph just shoved a bunch of food in her mouth, eating more like an animal than like a minimally civilized person, let alone like a member of such a important family like the Beifongs "And to be honest, it kinda scared me for a second. I thought you were killing her."

"So, Zuko" Aang interrupted, looking even more desperate to change the subject than both Zuko and Katara, which was saying a lot "Your uncle is going to arrive tomorrow night, right? So the White Lotus can help you?"

"Yes" he answered in a somewhat sad tone.

"Aren't you happy you're going to see him again?" the waterbender asked.

"I am it's just... he doesn't know about me and Azula."

_Of course he knows, dum-dum. If even our mother could tell, there's no way he didn't notice._

"It's going to be okay, Zuzu" Azula put a hand on his should "Uncle fatty loves you, and even I can't ruin that."

"I didn't mean it like that" he said, already looking guilty.

"I know, I know, I'm just teasing. But it's true. Uncle isn't going to disown you. He will help us end this mess, then he'll make you some tea and tell you another absurdly long story that you won't understand the meaning of like he has been doing since we were children. You have nothing to worry about" she said, playing with his hair. Zuko looked at her sweetly and offered her a kind smile she couldn't help but return. She caressed his cheek and he leaned into her touch.

When they actually looked at their guests again, Azula noticed Katara had been staring at them, and for once she didn't seem disgusted. In fact, she actually looked a bit... touched? As soon as she realized she was caught, she averted her eyes and started drinking her tea, acting like nothing happened.

_Maybe spending time with Zuko's friends won't be so bad after all_ , she thought with a devilish smirk. 


	48. Mai

"We don't have to do this" her brother said.

"She says can name possible traitors. We have to listen"

"We both know that's not why you're agreeing to talk to her"

"Who cares?" Azula had already ran out of patience "We're doing it anyway."

"Azula, this is a bad idea. Just yesterday you were jea-"

"I remember what happened yesterday, Zuko" she trying not let her anger take over, but it was becoming near impossible, and Mai wasn't even in the room yet "I don't want to see her, but we need the information she has, and I am _not_ leaving you alone with her."

Zuko sighed and pulled her in for a hug. Azula didn't move a muscle. Before either of them said anything, a guard opened the door to their office, and they turned around to see Mai by his side, a large wooden box in her hands. 

"Dismissed" her brother said to the guard, his right arm still around Azula. The loud sound of the door closing behind him echoed through the room, and was then replaced by a tense silence. Mai was the one to break the ice.

"You seem to be doing better" she sounded as bored as ever, but her expression softened for just a second.

"Much better... thanks to Zuzu" the princess said, trying to get a reaction out of her, but Mai didn't even flinch.

_And now you're making a fool out of yourself just for your failure of a brother,_ she could hear her father say. _Just when I assumed you had run out of ways to humiliate yourself._

"So it's true. Zuko finally cracked." 

Azula couldn't decide if she pleased or disappointed that Mai always knew there was something between them. On one hand, always knowing she was only second best during her entire relationship with Zuko was exactly what her former friend deserved. On the other hand, that meant Azula didn't get the satisfaction of actually telling her.

"Jealous?"

Mai offered her a cruel smirk "I'm not the one fuming with rage, Azula"

"Mai" Zuko reprimanded her while strengthening his hold on Azula, as if to prevent her from attacking his ex "Be civil. You said you had information on possible traitors, right?"

Her expression became somber.

"Before I give you their names, I need both of you to promise me one thing"

"You know very well that's not how this works. You'll tell us what we want to know, beg us to return the favor somehow, and we'll think about it."

"What is it you need, Mai?" Zuko said, far too kindly for Azula's taste. In retaliation, she placed her hand on his back, subtly heating it up just a little as a threat. Zuko didn't react at all.

_Even your brother doesn't respect you anymore._

_Don't listen to him, dear! That just means Zuko trusts you and know you won't hurt him. Your father is never right about anything._

_Why would she listen to you of all people?_

_BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!_

"Azula, are you okay?" Zuko asked, gently rubbing her arm. Mai's facade crumbled for a moment, looking almost as concerned as him.

"I'm fine" she lied, desperate to pretend what just happened had not scared her. Hearing voices was already bad enough, but having said voices _argue with each other_ in her mind was a new low "What was your stupid request?"

"I just want my family to be safe."

Before Zuko could promise nothing would happen to them, Azula spoke up "Why would denouncing traitors put your family in danger?"

Mai had the decency to look intimidated by Azula's piercing gaze "My mother and I are loyal to Zuko, and Tom-Tom will be too. Your brother might be stupid, reckless, stubborn and impatient, but he's not a bad leader"

_It's true, but still._

"Watch your mouth. You're talking about your Fire Lord" Azula pulled away from her brother, walking towards her former friend "And what about your father?"

She sighed "He's conspiring with the traitors to put Ozai in power again"

It took Azula all she had to fight the urge to scream and lash out in rage. Ukano was a dead man. She wanted to hunt him down and kill him for daring to even think about hurting Zuko, let alone actually conspiring to do so. 

"How dare you ask me to spare that man?" 

"I'm just looking after my family"

"Which includes a traitor that wants to murder my brother" she could feel her hands shaking.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't stop him. I'm just asking you not to give him an unfair punishment"

"How thoughtful of you" she scoffed.

"What made you think he could be conspiring against us?" Zuko asked, getting in between them.

"He was acting strange for weeks now. Wouldn't let anyone into his office, was always super busy despite nothing important happening, and was acting all paranoid. I was worried, so I stole his key, went through his stuff, and found this" Mai handed him the box. It was filled with letters that had a phoenix in them "He was sending money to a rebel group. These letters have all their requests, demands, reports of progress and losses... everything. My dad caught me reading them and disappeared."

Azula smirked cruelly "If he knows what's good for him, he won't come back."

Zuko placed the box on his desk "I know this is horrible for you, Mai. I'll be as merciful as possible" he turned to Azula "But he _will_ suffer the consequences."

"I know, Zuzu"

_I'll make sure of it._


	49. Support

"Get back to bed" Zuko commanded.

"I'm not sick, I don't need to stay in bed."

"Your doctors said all this stress is bad for you. You're staying here"

"I'm perfectly fine" Azula argued "You're all blowing this way out of proportion."

"Why do you keep lying to me? Something has been bothering you for a long time, and I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I already told you, it's just those stupid voices. They make me lose focus every now and again" For the first time, his sister sounded like she was tired of keeping up the pretense.

"Azula, please, just tell me what's going on."

"I can still hear father talking to me" she said, looking at the ground "He's still as pleasant and sweet as ever" her sarcastic tone lacked it's usual bite.

Zuko walked up to her and gently pulled her close "What does he say to you?"

"Oh, just basic stuff. Mocking me for being a failure, for how obvious it is that our nation will fall apart because of me, and for the being the disgrace of the family" she went on with her joyless, dry humor "The usual, you know?"

Unfortunately, Zuko did know. He knew it all too well in fact. It had been two years since he had dethroned Ozai and he had spent every single day realizing just how wrong his father had been about literally everything, but he could still see his face in his nightmares - that cruel smile and cold, angry, vicious eyes. He was locked away in prison, with no bending or political power, but his shadow still hanged over them, mercilessly reminding them that they could fail and prove him right...

Or turn into him.

"You're not a failure. You're the world's greatest firebender and you're helping protect our nation from traitors who worship a monster like him. Even before you changed, you were already better than he could ever be. All he did was take credit for the things you achieved, like conquering Ba Sing Se. His opinion shouldn't matter to anyone, but especially not to you."

Zuko could feel that familiar rage burning inside of him. He had gotten better at controlling it, but, as much as he hated to admit it, it still got to him every now and again. And nothing brought it back full force like thinking about his father and what he had done to their family. Not only had he hurt both him and Azula in every way he could, but he had also pitted them against one another, so they couldn't even find comfort in each other's company.

"The second you come back from this insane trip you've planned, we'll find a way to fix this" The young Fire Lord promised, holding her tight.

"You shouldn't promise something like that. You can't control it" his sister said. Even in her current state, she seemed to have more sense than he did.

But it didn't matter. He _would_ find a way to help her. Ozai had already stolen her from him twice before - once when he started raising her to be a perfect weapon while she was just a kid, and then again when he gave the final push that drove her over the edge and nearly destroyed her mind.

There wouldn't be a third time.


	50. Honesty

Zuko had been alone on the royal garden at the end of the afternoon, sitting by the turtle-duck's pond, when a guard approached him, bowing respectfully.

"My Lord, lady Mai wishes to speak to you"

Zuko told him to allow her in. She had greeted him graciously.

"How is your sister?" Zuko could hear just the slightest hint of concern in her mostly apathetic tone, and it made him smile. When they had been dating, Mai had always made it perfectly clear she didn't care about Azula, and that she had only stuck around with her for so long out of fear. And now here she was, worried about her.

"She's fine. I made her take a break and relax just to be sure."

"I didn't think Azula was capable of relaxing. Ever" she deadpanned, then looked a little guilty "Does it happen often? These... whatever that was?"

"No" he lied. That information was personal and not his to share. Plus, Azula wouldn't want to be seen as weak "Which is why I was worried. But she's okay now."

Mai nodded.

"So, uh... what's going on with you?"

"Besides discovering my father is a traitor? Not much. And what about you? The palace looks a bit chaotic. Is because of the insurgent firebenders or because you're screwing your sister?"

"It doesn't matter" he said, trying to change the subject."

"Ah, it's because the insurgent benders then. Don't worry, I understand you can't explain what you guys are planning."

"Yeah..."

They just stared at each other for a few moments. As usual, Mai's lack of expression made her look much more comfortable with the awkwardness of it all than Zuko could ever be. It was just so weird to be around her now. He didn't want to get back together, but he didn't want there to be any bad blood between them.

"I'm sorry for how things ended between us. I know it was my fault and you had the right to be mad, but I didn't mean to hurt you, it's just that I had no time for anything but being Fire Lord and taking care of Azula. I'm sorry I was aloof, and selfish, and a terrible boyfriend" he blurted out and immediately regretted it. 

Mai gave him her 'You're way too dramatic' glare. He used to get those all the time when she was around.

"Your Fire Lady wouldn't like seeing you that apologetic about not being a good boyfriend to someone else, Zuko" she warned and he blushed "And I could understand you were stressed and busy during your first months as Fire Lord. My problem, was usual, was your sister. And apologizing now won't change anything. You wanted her and you chose her. I was just a distraction."

"It wasn't like that. I never meant to use you. I _did_ love you, Mai."

"But you loved her more."

Zuko didn't answer, there was no need to. He wished he could say he was sorry for ignoring her to care for Azula, but the truth is that he wasn't. He had never meant to hurt her - or Jin - but Azula would always be the one he truly wanted to be with, and even falling for other girls didn't change that. He had chosen her long before he even became aware of his feelings for her.

"Sorry for wasting your time" he said, deciding to go back to his chambers to check on his sister.

"Zuko" he heard Mai call and turned around "Why her?"

He had gotten pretty used to answering that question, both to himself and others.

"She's my sister. She's the only one for me because she's the only other person who knows what it's like to go through everything we went through. And now that she's finally letting me help her, and we're finally as close as we always should have been, it just... it just doesn't make sense for either of us to be with anybody else. It wouldn't feel right."

It was only after he said it that he realized that, had Mai not been over their relationship, he would have gotten stabbed in his good eye. Truth be told, even despite that he had been incredibly lucky that her reaction was simply a somewhat offended look.

"I really don't understand royalty" she scoffed, walking away "Good luck explaining that one to your uncle."

_Don't remind me._

Zuko shook his head negatively. He couldn't think like that. He wouldn't think like that. The one person besides him who needed to understand what he and Azula had was Azula herself, and she had accepted it long before he did. Everything else was came second to her. If his uncle or anyone else tried to oppose their relationship, then they would find a way to deal with it.

Together.


	51. White Lotus

It took a long time for Zuko to finally fall asleep, and when he woke up, he was tense. His uncle would be there at night. He'd have to tell him about him Azula. He wasn't sure whether he regretted making Azula promise not to be there when they were talking - though he knew she would listen to it all, hidden somewhere. On one hand, having her next to him, supporting him, would make him feel much better. On the other hand, he knew Azula and their uncle had never seen eye to eye, and that she definitively would try to pick up a fight.

He didn't have the time to change his mind, Iroh and the rest of the White Lotus made it there early, right after lunch. They exchanged polite greetings, and his uncle told a few jokes to try and light up the mood, but it was clear nothing would cheer him up. They probably assumed it was because of the traitors.

Uncle Iroh's happy attitude faltered for just a moment when he saw Azula.

"Uncle! It's so good to see you!" his sister said, a beautiful smile on her face.

"Somehow, I doubt that's true" he said, but still bowed to her respectfully.

_You have no idea how wrong you are._

The servants showed them their rooms and helped them unpack, in just a few minutes they were all ready for the meeting. His uncle was happy to see his friends, especially Toph, but he, like the other four men seemed uncomfortable seeing Azula at his right hand. Zuko didn't even acknowledge it, they would have to get used to it eventually, might as well force them to do it right away. Even his friends didn't look that bothered by it anymore.

The young Fire Lord explained his sister's plan to them, seeing the obvious concern and fear at the thought of not only letting a traumatized, mentally disturbed 16-year-old have a say on how to deal with a possible war, but of also sending the person who had been most loyal to Ozai in the past interact with people who wanted him back on the throne.

But even though Zuko still had doubts about it himself, it was too late to change the plan now. Everything was practically ready now, and Azula was supposed to leave in just a few days. All of his detractors were constantly saying he was easily manipulated by his family - it wouldn't be wise to prove them right by suddenly changing everything because his uncle said so. He had made the mistake of accepting going along with this plan, and now he'd have to go along with it unless something drastic were to happen to Azula or anyone else.

"There's something you're not telling me" Iroh said "What is troubling you, nephew?"

Zuko's friends immediately looked at him as if expecting a show, which made Pakku, Jeong Jeong, Pindao and Bumi all look at him as well.

_Thanks guys._

Before he could answer, he felt Azula taking his hand. Zuko looked at her, and for the first time that day she didn't have a cruel smirk on her face. The affection in her eyes was all he could see. He gave her hand a squeeze then turned back to Iroh, who was looking at them with a concerned, puzzled expression on his face.

"Once this is all over, Azula and I are getting married"

" _WHAT?"_ Jeong Jeong and Pakku screamed at the said time, then just stared at them in horror like Piandao. Bumi's laugh was echoing through the room as Zuko could feel the weight of Iroh's angry glare almost suffocating him.

"Well, congratulations" the king of Omashu said, just like he would have done if Zuko had said he would marry anyone else.

"Come again?" Master Piandao asked his friend. Bumi's enthusiasm seemed to have snaped him out of his state of shock.

"They look like such a happy couple"

"Weirdly enough, they are" Aang answered his friend.

"What is the matter with you two?!" Pakku shouted.

"How did... how did this happen?" Jeong Jeong asked.

"Wait, you guys never noticed the weird vibe between these two?" Toph sounded shocked.

"I need a drink" Piandao said, and Katara went ahead and bended some wine from the jar and into everyone's cup.

Zuko got up and let his sister enjoy her moment, gesturing for his uncle to follow him to another room. The old man had not said a word, and that terrified Zuko much more than being yelled at would have.

Yet he could also feel himself becoming strangely and recklessly bold with every step. It was done. The only two people who didn't know it yet were Sokka and Suki, but since the others had come around, Zuko was sure they would do the same. Even his mother had found a way to make peace with it. His uncle would too.

And even if he didn't, his mind was made up.


	52. Devotion; Part One

"Are you out of your mind?!" Was the first thing his uncle said to him as the door closed behind him.

"Maybe. I'm marrying her either way" he tried to say it as delicately as possible, but it obviously still came out awfully rude.

"She's your sister!"

"That doesn't make it wrong" Zuko kept himself calm despite his anxiety, which was only driving his uncle more insane.

" _Of course_ it does! I can't believe I have to explain this to you!" despite his visible anger, the one emotion his voice gave away was fear "Zuko this will ruin you. How can you possibly think this is a good idea? And with _Azula_ of all people! Just two years ago she tried to kill you."

"And I betrayed you. I let her capture you and bring you to Ozai. I had no idea if he was going to kill you or just imprison you" Zuko felt a lump forming in his throat. Not a day went by that he didn't regret taking that risk, even though everything turned out alright in the end "I called you crazy and a fool. I said I didn't care if you rotted away in a cell. But you still forgave me. I changed, and so has she!"

"Even if that's true, Azula still-"

"Azula is the woman I love" he interrupted "And she loves me. We make each other happy."

"This is bad for her as well, Zuko!" he had never seen his uncle so angry and distraught. He was screaming, his eyes were wide, his face and neck were turning red and the veins on his neck looked like they were about to burst at any second "Can't you see this will devastate her and undo all of her progress once it all falls apart."

"It won't fall apart"

"You don't know what you're saying"

"Yes, I do!" Zuko yelled, then took a deep breath. He had to calm down. Letting his anger get out of control would just hurt his uncle and convince him that he was right to assume this was a terrible mistake "Uncle, I don't want to fight with you. I know you're just worried, but I swear this isn't a bad thing."

The old man sat on a chair and sighed. He looked tired and defeated, and for a moment Zuko feared he would start crying.

"How could you do this? After everything you went through to become a better person, after growing into something so much better than anyone in this family could have hoped to be before... why? Why would want something like this? How could it ever even cross your mind?" 

"I know this is a lot to process and that you just want the best for me" Zuko used his kindest tone "But I swear Azula and I are good for each other, and despite of all this insanity she made me happier than I had ever been" he said truthfully, then pondered if he really should say what was on his mind.

_He needs to know the truth if I want him to ever accept this._

"I loved her since I was a kid, Uncle. I didn't realize it for a long, long time, but now it's all perfectly clear to me. This would have happened sooner or later. It's just the way it should be. I just know it."

"Just leave me alone for a while. I don't feel well" Iroh said, not even looking at his nephew and wincing like he was in physical pain.

"Once you're ready to talk, please look for me" Zuko couldn't hide his disappointment, but still did as his uncle asked of him, leaving him alone in the room to try and digest all this information. 

He didn't even hear Azula following him. His sister hugged him from behind and he took one of her hands, kissing it over and over before turning around to hold her, relaxing into her loving embrace.

"I'm proud of you" she whispered in his ear while gently running her fingers through his hair, then kissing his cheek and neck.

"You're the only one. Well, you and Bumi."

Azula chuckled "Uncle will come around eventually. You'll see."

"I really hope you're right"

She pulled away and pretended to be annoyed "I'm always right, dum-dum."

She managed to make him laugh a little, then pulled close to her again, soothing him like a good sister should.


	53. Devotion; Part Two

"We need to talk" the old man said, entering the room without warning or permission.

"Oh, do we?" Azula mocked, rolling her eyes "Uncle, I've had a long day and my head is killing me. I don't have the time for, nor am I interested in a hearing you scream at me for corrupting your son and using him as a pawn in my wicked little schemes."

"I'm not here to fight."

"But you are here to try and _fail_ to convince me not to marry Zuko" she smirked "I suggest you stop wasting time and apologize to your nephew. He was hoping you'd give a long speech about our love story."

Iroh looked disgusted "I see where Zuko got the idea to be so unrelenting about this insanity."

"You should give him more credit, Uncle. I wouldn't have fallen for him if he was the puppet you're making him out to be."

"So you really are in love with him?" he seemed pleasantly surprised - or at least as pleased as he could be.

"So you _did_ think I was just using him."

"I knew it was a possibility" he admitted "But I did not wish it to be true, if that's what you're implying. It might have never seen eye to eye, Azula..."

"Well, that's an understatement" she interrupted.

"But you're still my niece, and I never wanted for us to be enemies."

"Spare me of your excuses and explanations. We're different people, and we oppose each other in almost everything. We never got along, and probably never will. You expect the worst from me, and I expect you to nearly bore me to death. It's simple, and blood doesn't change that."

"But we have one thing in common" he said in that unnecessarily serious tone that never suited him well "We both care about Zuko and want the best for him."

"Yes. But I'm the one who knows that the best for him is me."

"Azula, this isn't normal."

"Who cares?" she was sick of hearing that argument "It's not normal, it's not right, it's dangerous, it's inappropriate... even if all that's true, it still doesn't mean anything to me. He makes me happy, and I'll make him happy. I need him just as much as he needs me, and neither of us will let anyone get in our way."

"This will destroy both of you."

"Being forced to fight each other destroyed us. I finally have a family, uncle. I'm not giving up on it."

"A family..." he said, sadly "This isn't what a family should be like, Azula. And your brother will still be there for you whenever you need him if you change your mind about this."

"I know. But I won't, and neither will he" she said, turning her back on him, looking in the mirror and removing her make up. She had no idea why he thought he'd ever be able to convince _her_ to do what he said "Now stop wasting time and start helping your nephew. Did you find the people I told you to look for in Ba Sing Se?"

"Yes" she could hear the discomfort in his voice "You were right. Some of them are still loyal to you."

She smirked "Only the smart ones. Good job, uncle. Keep this up and I just might be kind enough to allow Zuko invite you to our wedding."


	54. Preparations; Part One

"Dai Li agents?" her brother practically screamed the second they were alone in their chambers, after dragging her there "You're bringing the same men who staged a coup in Ba Sing Se to our nation?" he was being stupidly dramatic again, but for once he had a point. And at least he had the decency to only freak out in private.

" _Former_ Dai Li agents. Who were handpicked by me to be saved from a miserable life in a city where everyone hates them for what they did, and would be very grateful for an opportunity to back the best leader they ever had. They're smart enough to follow orders, but not smart enough to turn their backs on me without being caught and punished."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I have been planning this long before I knew of any traitors, Zuzu" she said, making him look surprised and then angry.

"And when exactly were you going to tell me?"

"When I was sure I knew what I was doing. I know very well this is a high risk, high reward situation. I have been going over my plan to bring these men to the Fire Nation for months, and there were many changes over time. I know just what to do to prevent them from ever turning on me. Or on anyone from our family. They _did_ trust our uncle to bring them over, after all."

"We don't need them" he insisted, stubborn as always.

"You and your friends wanted to get rid of as many former Dai Li agents as possible after freeing Ba Sing Se, but couldn't because of the influence some of them still had over the city. This will free you of some of them, get us more people to help us fight the traitors, and will make my lie about wanting to dethrone you more believable so I can get all the information we need from these fools. We need them.

"I still don't like this. I don't trust these men."

"Good" she said "Make that clear to them. Remind them that I'm not the only one they should fear, and that while I trust them, you obviously don't. Take them to prison and have them see all the important people you were not afraid of punishing for choosing the wrong side in the war. Uncle already has his reputation as the dragon of the west to help keep them in check, and I won them over a long time ago. Show them you're the one in charge."

"I don't know if I can put on a convincing act, Azula."

"It won't be an act, Zuzu" she brought her hands to his shoulders "You kept this palace and our nation under control for two whole years. Most people want _you_ as Fire Lord, Toph and June said it themselves after that failed investigation of theirs. You already know how to inspire love and admiration. You just need a little confidence to inspire fear."

"And what if that's not what I want?" he asked her.

"It's necessary. And inevitable. You're royalty. No matter how kind of a ruler you are, you're still the one who holds all the power in our country. People don't want to disrespect you in any way because they fear the consequences. This isn't that much different."

Zuko just sat on the bed, lost in his own thoughts.

"What is going on, Zuzu?" she asked, sitting next to him "You've been looking more miserable than usual."

"I'm just worried. This whole situation is stressing me out. Nothing I do feels right. I know I have to act, but I don't want to go too far like father would."

_At least I'm not the only one he's still haunting._

"Look at me, Zuzu" he did and gently cupped his cheek, caressing it with her thumb "You're nothing like him. He would have never shown anyone any mercy. You're not a maniac like him. You're just protecting yourself, your friends, your family, your nation... and me. This isn't any different than fighting in a battle or ordering father to be imprisoned. You're not being cruel. You're standing your ground and protecting what's yours. Can you do that? Can you be strong? For me and for yourself?"

He averted his eyes, but Azula caught a glimpse of a look she knew all too well. That fierce look her brother always had when he was determined to do whatever it took to survive. He was a fighter, and he would win this like he won the war.

"We'll see those Dai Li agents and make sure they know who's in control. Then we'll find every traitor that wants Ozai in power again, and we'll put them in their place."

Azula smirked "That's what I like to hear."


	55. Preparations; Part Two

Azula stood before the mirror, admiring and analyzing her dress, deciding what she'd like to change about it and what just _had_ to stay the same. She had already spent quite a lot of time updating her wardrobe, making sure she would look like a proper Fire Lady, but this was even more important to her. She wanted her wedding to be perfect, and that obviously meant she needed the perfect dress. 

And she believed she had found it. The dress was elegant, and accentuated her curves, but it was still comfortable. The neckline was semi-transparent and showed just enough cleavage to be tempting without any vulgarity. The white fabric was covered with small shiny stones that gave it a golden glow in the sunlight or near a flame. She was used to only wearing dark colors, especially black and red, but this worked just as well, and the change would make her look even stunning.

"You look so pretty! You'll be the most beautiful queen!" Kiyi said, and Azula couldn't help but smile. The kid knew how to be endearing when she wanted to, and that fact was almost enough for Azula not to resent Zuko for making her spend time with their little sister.

Almost.

"I know, but thank you anyway"

"Are you sure you want to change it? It already looks so good!"

"It does look good. I want it to be perfect" she explained.

"But there's nothing wrong with it, Lala!"

"Kiyi" Azula reprimanded "It's my dress and it's my wedding. I decide how it's going to be."

Her little sister pouted and gave her a sheepish look "Sorry, Zula."

"Here's one thing you should know: everything and anything can always use some improvement, even there's nothing wrong with it."

The little girl reflected on Azula's words for a second "Like you and Zuko always practicing your firebending, even though you two are already the best at it?"

The princess smiled "Exactly."

"And what will you change about your dress?"

"Well, there's one obvious thing: adjusting the length of the skirt so I won't step on it" she said, making Kiyi laugh "And I want it to have sleeves. Long, semi-transparent sleeves to match the neckline, and I'm considering adding just a few tiny stones" Azula saw her sister's expression change from understanding to excited as she described it.

The princess went to her close and picked up one of her favorite dresses - a fancy black dress, with a red cape stitched to it.

"I'll add a cape like this one, but white to match the dress. Then I'll just need the perfect headpiece. I'm thinking a crown will do."

"But isn't it a tradition for the bride to wear flowers in her hair?"

"Yes, but I never liked that."

Kiyi seemed annoyed "What's wrong with flowers?"

_Here we go again._

Azula sighed "Nothing, Kiyi"

"Then wear them in your hair!"

"I'll think about it! Now go, I have things to do"

The little girl nodded, but gave her a tight hug before leaving, and Azula had to fight the urge to push her away. She would never get used to that.

_You owe me, Zuzu,_ she thought as she took off her dress and put on her regular clothes. There was a lot of work to do.

She would question some old friends the next day.


	56. Dai Li

Azula stood next to Zuko in front of the prison, waiting for the Dai Li to show up. Her brother's face was stern, and he had his hands on his sword's handles, ready to draw them at any second if necessary. He had also brought his friends and uncle Iroh to see them as well. It was hard to say who was angrier, and she could understand why. Her victory in Ba Sing Se had been their defeat after all.

It didn't take long for them to show up - perfection had always been their goal, and that included being punctual. The eight men were wearing Fire Nation clothes, but they still would have stood out on a crowd because of how they moved, which annoyed Azula. She had noticed many times that these men _never_ rested. Everything about the way they carried themselves made it abundantly clear that they had received intense military training.

_So much for being discrete._

The Dai Li all bowed to them at the same time, and Azula took a few steps towards them.

"So, all of you have decided to answer my call."

"It is an honor to be at your service again, princess" Xun said, bringing one hand to his heart, then looked at Zuko "My Lord, we'll help you win this conflict through any means necessary."

That answer did not please her brother, nor his friends. From what Azula understood, some kid they knew, and the other two that were always with him, died because of Long Feng. It made sense that a simple promise meant to gain their trust would only do the opposite.

"You'll stick to _my_ means" Zuko's anger was clear in his voice "There will be no unnecessary deaths, no brainwashing, no lying to the people of my nation, no attacking people without my explicit permission and no information will be kept from me. Anything any of you do that goes against these orders will be considered treason and punished accordingly."

"My Lord, we are loyal to you and your sister" Xuhon spoke "We'd never question or disobey you."

"Did you say the same to Long Feng before siding with Azula?"

Both the princess and the Dai Li felt uncomfortable with that question. She had asked them the same thing right before banishing them from the Fire Nation. She hated thinking of how foolish she looked to everyone on that terrible day, afraid even of shadows on the walls.

"Long Feng was never as competent as your sister" the man finally said.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere. The only reason all of you will no longer live as outcasts in Ba Sing Se is because _she_ trusts you. I'm yet to be convinced, and nothing anyone of you has said was enough to change my mind."

"What do you want from us then?"

Zuko opened the door to the prison "Get in. All of you."

The Dai Li all exchanged looks, then did as he said. Azula and the others all got in after them, and she saw as they surrounded the Dai Li, who seemed to panic for just one split second as the prison door closed with a loud noise. The guards in front of every cell kept their eyes on them, prepared for a fight that never happened. During it all, Zuko looked completely sure of himself, and Azula couldn't be prouder.

They guided the Dai Li to the largest empty cell in the prison, with four bunk beds, and Toph opened the door, smirking "Get in and tell me what you guys think of the place. I've been helping Zuko redecorate."

_I can see why Zuko likes this girl._

Hesitantly, the eight men did as they were told, and Azula saw an all too familiar look in their eyes - that survival instinct that made it impossible for even the bravest, most loyal warrior not to consider trying to fight an escape route. The cell was big enough to fit all of them, but staying there for even a day would be extremely uncomfortable. She could see them looking around for any earth they could bend in case there was a fight, but they were outnumbered and outmatched.

Zuko noticed it too, and drew both his swords before giving them another command "Choose your beds"

"My Lord" Ling's voice trembled "Why are you doing this, we came here to serve you"

"Do as he says, or this cell will be your new home" Azula said. The man's fear was justifiable, but it was a defiance of her brother's orders and she wouldn't allow it.

"I assure you you're all safe" Iroh said, trying and failing to calm them, but succeeding in irritating Azula.

_Keep your mouth shut, uncle fatty. Don't ruin my fun._

Terrified, they all chose what could be their future beds if they failed on this mission, and Zuko continued to look more threatening than she had ever seen him before. The princess smirked, pleased with the scene before her. She knew her brother had it in him.

"Cheng, Lohu, leave the cell" the two sighed in relief and stood before her, while the others stayed where they were, pleading with their eyes to be allowed the same reward "Both of you are staying at the palace with my brother. He is one of the strongest firebenders in the world and there are more than enough guards to protect him in case the palace is attacked, but it's always good to have an element of surprise against your enemy, no matter how small. The rest of you will be leaving with me and infiltrating the traitor's group, meeting their allies, and leading them all to a trap" Azula's eyes met Zuko's, and she could he wanted permission to go to the second part of the plan "All of you come with me now. There's a special prisoner we want you to meet."

Zuko was the only one in the room who didn't seem confused by her orders, and she immediately understood that he had not told them the whole plan. She held onto the satisfaction that fact brought her so she'd be strong enough to be face to face with that man again.

_I can do this. I should have done it a long time ago._

Zuko gave her one last look, giving her the option to back down, then opened the door to Ozai's cell.


	57. Disgrace

There was a hollow feeling in Azula's chest when she first saw her father. Despite everything she had heard, she could never truly bring herself to believe that the man behind those bars wasn't the proud Fire Lord Ozai. That there wasn't still a chance, however small, that he could one day rise again and start a new war.

That possibility disappeared from her mind in mere seconds. The man before her wasn't the one she and Zuko had known their whole lives. Their father still looked somewhat strong, but he was not nearly as threatening and imposing as he would have been just two years prior, and it was jarring to see him in prison clothes and in a cell, instead of wearing expensive robes while sitting on his throne, looking down on everyone with a wall of fire behind him. He was pale as a ghost, his long hair was a mess, and the anger that seemed to radiate off of him felt more like a desperate cry for help.

"Fire Lord Zuko" he spat the words like the worst of insults, and his voice sent shivers down Azula's spine "What brings you here?"

Zuko ignored him and turned to the Dai Li "I assume all of you still remember what my father used to be like" he said, making Azula smirk "I want you to look him at now."

"So now I'm an exotic animal in a zoo on top of being a prisoner? Or are you simply trying to make your insane sister look better by comparison?"

Her brother drew one of his swords and pressed it to their father's neck with unbelievable speed, making him jump back. 

"Don't speak unless spoken to, and watch your tongue if I ever allow to speak at all. Don't test my patience."

For the first time in her life, Azula saw her keep his mouth shut. The princess looked at Ozai and Zuko as if seeing them for the first time. She had seen her brother defeated and being forced to comply, but there was always that righteous fury in his eyes, a fiery rage that always made it clear he would keep fighting, whenever he could and in any possible way. It usually was reckless, often stupid, and constantly made him a bit of a martyr, but there was something to be admired about it and showed just how strong he was - it had won him the crown after all. The anger she saw in her father's eyes came from nothing more wounded pride, and made him look like a petty, spoiled child.

Zuko turned to the Dai Li again "Ozai is the one person to ever have his bending taken away. For now" he walked in their direction and the eight men looked terrified of him, even though he was not the one with the power to take away their earthbending "I'm giving you a chance. I expect the people in this palace to be safe, I expect the common folk to be free to live their lives without fear, and I want my friends and family to be treated with the same respect you've all shown me today."

He then brought a hand to the handle of one of his swords, probably not even realizing he was doing so.

"And if my sister says any of you gave her reason to believe she's not safe with the bunch of you following her around, if any of you hide anything from her, if you _hurt her_ in any way" his voice was filled with rage and concern, making her heart skip a beat "I'll destroy you. All of you. Is that clear?"

"Yes, My Lord" they all said in unison.

"Dismissed"

Without another word, the Dai Li left, uncle Iroh and Zuko's friends walking right behind them. 

"So" Ozai started talking again "You've found yourself a good loyal fool, Azula. How many days did it take for you to convince him you and your personal army won't try to kill him and his pathetic friends this time?"

"Azula" her brother called before she could answer "Come with me. We have work to do."

"Yes, My Lord" she said, following him, yet not being able to stop herself from giving one last look at their father. A sad man, way in over his head, doomed to grow bitter each day until the end of his days. A completely hollow shell.

_Is this all that you are now? Is this all that you ever were?_

Zuko gently took her hand and lead her outside. When the prison's door was shut behind them, and her brother looked her, his expression softening for the first time that day, if felt like a spell was broken. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling him melt against her and his body relaxing.

"I love you" she whispered to him, then pulled away just to look into his kind, golden eyes, seeing that all that rage he let out was still very much alive, but hiding away, waiting for the right time to resurface. 

Azula smirked.

"I knew you could do it, Zuzu."

She took his hand and made him follow her back to the palace.


	58. Lust

Zuko had been preparing for many possible reactions his sister could have after his plan of how to get the Dai Li to comply. Anger or disappointment that he didn't intimidate them enough; pride at how well he done; panic at having seen their father again.

Yet, somehow, he had missed the obvious one: her being _very_ grateful.

He had her pined against their bedroom door, kissing her passionately while they both awkwardly tried to get rid of their armors as fast as they could, letting them fall to the ground, desperate to have each other as close as humanly possible.

"My strong, brave Zuzu" she said, licking his neck and jaw before pressing her lips to his "I knew you had it in you. I knew you could do this."

"I'll do it again if I have to" he answered, kissing her repeatedly "Whenever I have to" another kiss "You're most important thing in the world to me, Azula"

She groaned and crushed her lips against his, fighting for control, winning it, then fighting for it again as he'd start dominating the kiss. He pulled away for air, leaving her panting as well, sneaking his hands underneath her shirt, groping her breasts over the bindings, then freeing them from it, massaging them and teasing the nipples.

"Zuzu... Zuzu..." she moaned, holding on to his shoulders as he sucked on her neck. Once she couldn't take his teasing anymore, she grabbed his hair and kissed him again, forcefully guiding him towards the bed and pushing him, sitting on his lap right after it, rubbing up against his erection and making him moan. He grabbed her ass and she sucked and nipped his earlobe "I want you. Now" she purred in his ear. 

Zuko grabbed her pony tail and pulled at it, forcing Azula to move her head away. He then pushed her off of him and made her lie on the bed. Her hands immediately reached out to touch him, sneaking under his shirt.

"Patience" he said, rubbing her thigh over her pants.

Azula shook her head no and buried her nails on his skin, making him hiss and pain as she left scratch marks on his mark. She tried to kiss him but he grabbed her neck and forced her to stay where she was, pining her to the mattress.

"Behave" he said, squeezing her neck until she stopped touching him. He allowed her to breathe again and removed her shirt, pants and panties. She didn't move and he smirked, moving his head down to kiss, lick, suck and bite her breasts, feeling her squirm underneath him until he was satisfied "Good girl" his smiled as his compliment made her blush "I want you on all fours."

"As you wish, _My Lord_ "

Zuko undressed as his sister assumed the position. He slapped her hard on the ass as he got behind her, then rubbed the head of his cock against her wet pussy a few times before finally pushing it into Azula, moaning alongside her.

His thrusts were slow and shallow at first, stretching her out, giving her time to adjust. As soon as she started pushing back, however, he begun to thrust deeper and deeper until she had taken all of him. Azula moved her hips faster and he did the same, fucking her hard, slapping her ass a few times to hear her little shocked gasps. He knew there'd be payback, but the didn't care. He was too busy going insane at the sight of his cock going in and out of her wet pussy and feeling her flesh smacking against his own.

His sister moaned as he started groping her breasts again, cruely twisting her hard nipples and making her cry out in pain. One of his hands grabbed her pony-tail again, pulling her hair a few times before letting it fall loose on her back.

He was close, but held back until he heard her moans becoming more desperate screams of pleasure as he hit just the right spot, spilling himself inside of her when she screamed his name. He pulled out and lied next to her, gasping for air.

"I love you, Zuzu..." she said, embracing him.

"I love you too, Zula"


	59. Instinct

"I don't want you to go" he muttered against his sister hair, making her shift on the bed to look at him.

"Zuzu, we talked about this."

"You talked, and forced this entire situation. I was against it from day one."

"I'm leaving tomorrow. It's going to happen" she gave him a quick kiss "I'll find those traitors, lead them to a trap, and then I'll come home to you, safe and sound. Well, mostly sound. Now get up, we'll have a long day."

Zuko sighed. He knew he was fighting a losing battle and that there was no chance she would back down, especially not now, with everything and everyone ready, all eyes on her, waiting for her to either prove her worth or prove them right for believing she was unfit to help him. But he still had to try. Truth be told, he pretty sure he couldn't help but try to keep her safe.

"We can say I changed my mind and forced you to stay. Or we'll make up some excuse to change the plans so drastically. Just please don't go" he cupped her cheek, caressing it with his thumb "I just can't stand the thought of something happening to you."

"I'll be careful" she said, kissing the scar above his heart then resting her head on his chest, letting him wrap his arms around her, keeping her close "And I'm doing better than ever. You don't have to keep freaking out, Zuzu" she offered him a sweet smile "Though I'll admit, I like seeing playing the role of the protective big brother."

"I know" he smirked "You proved it to me yesterday."

She pulled away and slapped him in the face, grinning. Zuko grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, trying to kiss her, but she kept trying to free herself from his grasp "Zuko, come on, we have work to do"

"Give me a kiss and I'll get you go" he entangled his legs with hers.

"No" she said, just as he managed to kiss her chin.

"Come on, Lala, just one kiss"

"Don't call me that!" She complained, making Zuko chuckle, and she couldn't help but smile at him. He took advantage of her momentary distraction, stealing a kiss before letting go of her. Azula stayed right where she was "I'm serious, don't call me that."

"Kiyi gets to. And I used to call you that all time."

"It's different, we were kids."

"You still call me Zuzu."

"Yeah" she pressed her lips to his "Because you are my Zuzu."

"That's not fair" he complained, but laughed despite himself "I don't get to call you Lala anymore, but I'm stuck with my stupid nickname?" 

"I decide what's fair, _Zuzu._ And I'm already being pretty generous by letting you call me Zula every now and again" she gave him one last kiss and got up "Now come on, there's much to do."

Zuko sighed and got out of bed. He really didn't want to leave the room at all. He wanted to either be with Azula until she left, just enjoying her company, or to stay locked up with her until she gave up this plan. But he knew it was useless.

It didn't matter, he had a surprise planned for her later.


	60. Family

Zuko knocked on his Uncle's door repeatedly, and got no answer even though he knew the old man was in there. Since he found out about his engangement to Azula, Iroh had been ignoring him as much as possible and would only respond to direct orders. Zuko was still surprised he helped him confront the Dai Li at all - that had been Azula's plan after all. 

Even then, Iroh had not been able to look him in the eye.

He seemed to be doing the same thing he did after Ba Sing Se, when Zuko betrayed him. But this was completely different. He had not done anything wrong this time, and he wouldn't let his uncle ignore him. Not when he needed his support more than ever. 

So, he slammed the door open and walked into the room anyways. He was getting tired of playing nice.

"Do you need something, nephew?"

"I need you to stop avoiding me. We need to talk. _Really_ talk."

Iroh sighed "What for? You won't listen to me"

"If it's about or not I should be with her? No. I won't listen" he answered bluntly "But I still need you. You're one of the people I trust the most in world - you always have been. It's not fair that I lose you after everything we've been through just because of what I feel for Azula."

"You won't lose me. But you have lost your way, and so has she."

"And what is the right way for her to choose, uncle? To be alone? To spend her life suffering because of her past mistakes? To not have a family?"

"That's not what I'm saying, Zuko. Don't put words in my mouth." 

"Then what are you saying?" it was hard for him to fight with Iroh, but he couldn't stand this anymore "I see the way you look at her, uncle. Like she's a problem that needs to be dealt with it and forgotten about. Mother used to think of her like that as well, and so did _I._ We both know who'll be the first person people will blame for anything that goes wrong for me. Everyone will instantly wonder if Azula planned it, if she still wants to hurt me. I knew you'd think she was manipulating me into being with her the second we got together. _Everyone_ distrusts and looks down on her. Even her family. Even _you._ And I won't allow this anymore."

"Zuko, I never meant to-"

"I know you didn't. Neither I, nor did my mother. But it still happened. We saw my father turn her into his weapon, and we blamed her just as much as we blamed him. I know Azula is strong, and she's trying to pretend it doesn't bother her, but I can see she's hurting. She's been telling me for months that no one will ever fully trust her, that people will always fear her, and that is killing me."

"Give it time" his uncle grabbed his shoulders "If she really has changed, then let her show them that. Little by little, every day. That's the only way, Zuko. You can't force people into trusting her."

"I know" his tone became somber and he pulled away "But I can ask you to really try changing the way you think of her. The war is over, but you still look at her as an enemy."

"I had my problems with Azula" Iroh conceeded "but that's in the past."

"Really?" Zuko scoffed "People will warm up to her **if** she has really changed, you say. I spent a year and a half telling you I believed she could heal and change for the better. You kept warning me about how hope can sometimes bring nothing but more pain. For the past six months she has made incredible progress, and I made sure to let you know in every letter I sent you. You kept warning me it could be a trick. And now that I'm telling you she's suffering, that she feels guilty over everything she did and doesn't feel she could ever be truly forgiven, you're saying it will all work out in the end **if** she did really change."

"I just want you to be careful" Iroh said, trying to justify his words and actions.

"You want me to stay away from her. You want me keep holding on to any grudge or doubt you think I could have, because you can't accept she's more than what Ozai tried to turn her into. You had faith in me even after I betrayed you, but you can't do the same for her" Zuko couldn't help sounding a little guilty "This family... the way we were all raised to distrust each other... it affects you more than you realize, uncle."

Zuko waited for Iroh to argue or defend himself again, but he never did. He simply listened, looking a bit... guilty? Ashamed? Zuko wasn't sure. He rarely saw his uncle in conflict and listening to advice - _his_ advice. The young Fire Lord forced himself to go on, despite being afraid of hurting his uncle. He had done the same to his mother, and it ended up paying off, maybe it would have the same result this time.

"I know it wasn't your intention, but the truth is you were unfair to her. I'm not even sure you know her, and it looks like you don't want to know her. Your own niece" Iroh's face twitched "She never asked you to. She never asked you to forgive her and find it in you to care about her. But I am" he took a step towards him "I want you to truly give her a chance. And I need you to be there for her."

His uncle simply nodded, then offered him a kind, but sad look "But there's something else you want to ask of me, isn't there?"

"I want you to not try to separate me and Azula. Even if you can't understand it, I need you to believe me when I tell you that we _have_ to be together. I just... I just can't be truly happy unless she's by my side."

Iroh looked like he was in pain listening to that, and for a second Zuko thought he would be berated for asking that of him, and kicked out of the room. Instead, his uncle took a deep breath and embraced him.

"I'll try" he sounded mortified, but those words were exactly what Zuko needed to hear.

_He'll come around eventually. They all will._

Zuko hugged him back and thanked him, before allowing Iroh to rest and reflect on everything he had heard.

And went on to prepare for his night with his sister.


	61. Peace; Part One

The two siblings left the palace together right after dinner. Zuko still made sure to get some candied cherries and fruit tarts to go since they'd take some time to reach their destination and could get hungry again, and because they were Azula's favorite desserts. They both wore hoods, left through the servant's gate, and walked through the capital city side by side without drawing any attention to themselves.

Zuko knew the way by heart at this point as he had walked through these streets many times as a kid, desperate to find any place where he could hide from everything - the pressure of being the heir, the competition against his much more skilled sister, the absence of his mother, and the cruelty his father offered to everyone around. Things were unbelievably better for him now, but he had spent a night or two hidden away from everyone when the burden of being Fire Lord became too much.

And now, as he was worried about losing everything he had built, and worst of all, losing his sister, the sight of the that simple, isolated house on the top of the hill brought him a little comfort. He could escape from all his problems for a little while.

And he wanted to offer Azula the chance to do the same.

As they entered the house, Zuko couldn't noticed his sister's eyes analyzing every little thing about it. The place wasn't anything special at first, but he had tried to make it look as beautiful and luxurious as possible. He had already reformed the house when he bought it a few weeks after becoming Fire Lord, but he knew his sister liked how grandiose the palace was, so he added a few details. The red walls now had a few Fire Nation banners on them, there were four braseirs illuminating the living room, all the furniture was of the same quality of the ones at the palace, and he had chosen some paintings that helped make the place look both more 'royal like' and livilier.

"So, this is the place you went to when you wanted to disappear" Azula said, sitting on the couch. Once upon a time she would have done it to mock him and call him weak, but now she simply sounded amused at the thought a young Zuko running around and hiding from everyone "It is an honor to be a guest at your home, _My Lord._ "

Zuko chuckled at her joke, then sat next to her, taking her hand and caressing the back of it with his thumb "I want this to be your place too. Even after this is all over, life at the palace can get stressful, and..." he hesitated "There are so many bad things that happened to our family, both on that place and at our house in Ember Island. I want there to be a place that is just ours."

Azula smiled and gave him a quick kiss "I like that thought."

He pulled her in for an embrace and lied back, keeping his sister safe in his arms and kissing her forehead. They stayed like that for a few minutes, silently enjoying being so close to each other. Then Zuko broke the silence.

"There's nothing I can do to change your mind about your plan, right?"

"No" she answered, pulling away from him "I thought it was pretty obvious."

"It was and it is. I had to try anyway" he got up and started searching through his bag "But that doesn't mean I don't trust you" he found what he was looking for, and turned to his sister. Her eyes lit up and widened when she saw what was on his hand "You're my sister and my most trusted advisor. You're a prodigy, you were born to be a leader and you're the most powerful warrior I've ever met. You've been our nation's princess your whole life, you'll be Fire Lord for the next weeks, and you'll be my Fire Lady till the end of our days. It's only fair that you wear a symbol of your power."

Azula kneeled gracefully and Zuko walked toward her, gently running his fingers through her hair before crowning her. She was tearing up, but offered him a sweet smile as she got up holding him tight.

"Thank you" she whispered, then took a step back and wiped her tears away "Now... tell me about the other places where you used to hide before you found this house" she said, trying to change the subject to something that wouldn't make her that emotional, and Zuko allowed her to, leading her to the dinning room so they could eat their desserts and share a few stories.

After all, he wanted her to enjoy her first night at their new home. 


	62. Peace; Part Two

"I have to admit, Zuzu. I do like this place" his sister said as they gazed at the stars. They were on the roof, and Zuko was sitting right behind her, his arms around her. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and the stars seemed to be shining much brighter that night.

"Glad to hear it" he muttered, kissing her temple, then burying his face in her hair "I should have crowned you as my queen years ago."

"You were always a slow learner."

"Brat" he replied, gently nipping at her ear, then sucking her neck. His sister leaned back against him and tilted her head back, exposing more of her skin to him. Zuko wasted no time, kissing, licking, and bitting it, covering it in marks since Azula loved having a physical 'proof' of his love and lust for her. And even though it could lead to some uncomfortable situations and shocked glares, he had to admit he loved it just as much.

They both shivered as the cold wind blew, and Zuko snuck his hands underneath his sister's shirt, heating up his hands just a little and running them through her back, sides, and stomach. He then removed her bindings and groped her breasts, teasing her hard nipples. Azula grabbed his right hand, moving it lower and lower. Once she let go, he snuck it underneath her pants and panties, slowly allowing his fingers to trace her labia - far too slowly to bring his sister real pleasure.

"Stop teasing" she whispered.

"You like it"

Zuko rubbed her clit as he continued to kiss her neck, feeling her squirm in his arms, then stopped, making Azula whine in frustration. After a while he started teasing her again, but stopped as soon as she started really enjoying herself. When he started moving his hand the third time, she forced him to pull away and pinned him to the ground, sitting on his lap and straddling him, rubbing up against his erection as she kissed him furiously. When she broke the kiss, Zuko saw that dangerous spark in her eyes and offered her a smile she couldn't help but return. 

Azula pulled away to undress and he did the same "Keep the crown on" he said, even though he knew she wasn't planning on taking it off in the first place.

She pinned him to the ground again, mounting him, throwing her head back as she moaned. Zuko smirked then grabbed her hips with enough force to bruise them, wanting to control her movements. In response, Azula brought a hand to his neck, not allowing to breathe until he let go, allowing her to ride him like she wanted to. She kept her hand around his neck, heating up her palm just a little to be both a little uncomfortable, but still pleasurable. He grabbed her hips again, doing the same.

His sister kept bringing herself down hard on his cock, meeting him thrust for thrust, taking him all the way, moaning his name as he hit the right spot again and again until he made her come. Still, she continued to ride him, panting for air, looking at him with those needy eyes, her tits bouncing as she moved up and down, her hair blowing in the wind, and her crown shining like the stars above them. That heavenly sight pushed him over the edge and spilled himself inside of her. Zuko cuddled with her for a while, kissing her and gently running his hand up and down her back.

"Would you like to see our bedroom?" 

Azula smiled "Of course, _My Lord"_

He kissed her again. He was still worried about would happen later, but right now he would enjoy the rest of his perfect night with his sister.


End file.
